


Longing

by Mindsebbandflow



Series: Longing (Digimon Adventure Tri) [1]
Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02, Digimon Adventure tri.
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship/Love, Love Triangles, Pining, Rating will eventually go up!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-06-27 13:52:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15686736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mindsebbandflow/pseuds/Mindsebbandflow
Summary: Story from Digimon Adventure Tri,Mimi's cousin Rita moves back to Japan with her, joining the team as a DigiDestined. Rita is a compassionate and inquisitive person, taking notice of Izzy's feelings for Mimi she decides to help him, however as she starts developing feelings for him it starts to make her resolve more difficult. With the Digital World in chaos and the Digimon becoming infected, how will her bond with her partner Digimon Mikumon be effected and her stirrings of love for the boy who has fallen for her cousin?





	1. Chapter 1

How long had it been now since Rita had seen her? It seemed strange how time could go by so fast and yet so slow. “Three years…” Rita murmured, her eyes glancing to a photo on her desk. That Christmas she had gone to New York to visit her cousin Mimi, the Digital World had gone into chaos once again and it was lucky she was in the right place in the right time. Even with the danger back then; in a way she was grateful, Rita was able to spend a lot of time with her partner Digimon, Mikumon. She had also got to meet Mimi’s Digimon, Palmon, as well as one of the newer DigiDestined from Japan, Davis. Mimi of course had been keeping in touch with all of her friends from Japan, even after she moved to America. Rita on the other hand had never met the others, only heard stories from Mimi, about their time in the Digital World. Rita wasn’t sure how she would have handled things if she was sent to another world when she was only a child. Mimi really amazed her, she always had. Unlike her cousin, Rita wasn’t the most outgoing person, she wasn’t a mood maker and sometimes she felt as though her presence held no value. She always had looked up to Mimi, wanting to be like her, the kind of person who could make the people around her happy by just being herself. 

As Rita continued packing she thought back to the time where she was able to go to the Digital World, for just a brief period. All of the DigiDestined of the world had gathered, their light was able to stop the evil Digimon who was trying to destroy both worlds. It was dark and gloomy at the time, nothing like what Mimi described. Rita hoped she would be able to go back, to see Mikumon again, to see the world where her best friend was born. Sighing in relief, Rita had finally finished packing for her move to Tokyo. Mimi and her family were moving back to Japan and had invited Rita to go with them. She had always wanted to go to school there, so finally now that she was in high school, her mother had given her permission to become a transfer student. Things would be easier for her since she would be living with Mimi, not a random family. She was excited to meet all of Mimi’s friends who had Digimon partners of their own. Based on what she had heard from Mimi, they were all very kind people and it was obvious how much she treasured their friendship. So much had happened to Odaiba over the years, it always seemed to take the brunt from Digimon attacks. Nothing had really happened in three years, at least nothing that Rita was aware of. It did concern her though, what if something happened again? Would she be able to protect Mikumon?

After arriving in New York, Rita was reunited with Mimi after quite some time. It was great seeing her again, and she was happy to see that Mimi hadn't changed. She always made Rita feel happy, just by being beside her. “So I am totally toying with Tai! Izzy told me he wanted me to come for one of his soccer games and I told him I would, though he doesn't know that we are already heading back to Odaiba!” Mimi laughed, her energy was contagious. “You must be happy to be going back after all these years,” Rita smiled. “Of course I am, but I am also excited that you are coming back with me! I know that you will love it there!” Mimi grinned, pulling Rita into a hug. “Yeah, though I am a bit nervous going to school, since I’m a transfer student won’t I stand out?” Rita looked worried, Mimi just chuckled. “Don’t worry I’m transferring back too so you won’t be alone!” “But you were originally from Japan, I’m a halfer from Canada! What if no one wants to talk to me?” Rita continued to worry. “That won’t happen, besides I will be there with you, plus all of my friends will love you so there is no need to worry!” Mimi winked, somehow she was always able to reassure Rita like that, she really loved Mimi and she knew Mimi loved her too. 

The flight had been long and tiring, but they had finally arrived in Tokyo. As relieved as she was to have landed, Rita felt as though something was wrong. The airport was crowded, more so than normal, and everyone seemed to be either worried or agitated. “What’s wrong Rita?” Mimi asked with concern. Rita had always been much more sensitive then Mimi, she was able to sense how others were feeling. “I don’t know, but doesn’t it seem strange? It feels as though something has happened…” Rita spoke, Mimi took notice around her, seeing that she was in fact right, something was going on. “Come with me!” Mimi spoke as she grabbed Rita’s hand and pulled her along, heading to where a bunch of people had gathered. When stopping the two froze in place, “n-no way…” Rita spoke. “Digimon… what is going on?” Mimi too was shocked. It appeared as though there were Digimon fighting at the Haneda airport terminal. Just then a woman stopped in front of Mimi. “Hey, you’re blocking the TV!” Mimi called out, somewhat irritated. “The news about Haneda? No need to watch it, I’m taking you there now.” She spoke, both girls’ eyes shot wide open. “What?” Mimi called out. “Welcome back, Miss Mimi Tachikawa.” She spoke, Rita turned to look at Mimi who seemed shocked her identity was known. “And this is?” The woman spoke, turning her eyes directly onto Rita. “My cousin Rita, why?” Mimi stood in front of Rita, wondering what this woman wanted. “I see, if I recall correctly you too are a DigiDestined.” Rita nodded, nervous, yet this woman didn’t give off a bad vibe. “Both of you come with me now!” She ordered. Mimi and Rita looked at each other, they both knew that if there were Digimon attacking then they were both needed. 

The car ride over was extremely uncomfortable for Rita, yet Mimi as usual went with the flow. Watching a video of the fight, Mimi got excited when one of the enemy Digimon was taken down. “They did it! Are all of them there? How many? Is Palmon there too? Cause I have to give souvenirs to all of them. This is good, I was wondering how to hand them out!” Mimi spoke as she pulled a bag of gummi candies from her purse. The woman looked frustrated, Rita was just amazed how calm Mimi was about this situation, in fact she seemed happy. Rita did however understand, the chance to see your partner Digimon again was something that every DigiDestined wished for. When they arrived the fight appeared to be over, Mimi quickly exited the car, Rita was a little more hesitant as she approached everyone. “Palmon! Hey everyone!” Mimi waved, the joy just radiating from her face. “Mimi!” Palmon called out as she jumped into her open arms. “It’s so great to see you again! I’m so happy!” Mimi cried out. “Mimi?” Everyone seemed rather shocked to see her. “Did you miss me?” She smiled, “you’re back?” “Did you come back just for this battle?” “No, see I was planning on coming back anyway, then I heard about Tai’s soccer match! Oh yeah that reminds me! Souvenirs for everyone, it’s the new gummi candy I have been addicted to recently! Weird colours but you can’t stop eating them, Mimi’s choice! Here Agumon, this will cheer you up!” Mimi spoke enthusiastically as she handed Agumon a candy. “Delicious!” Agumon cheered before all of the Digimon joined in, wanting some. Everyone seemed more relaxed now that Mimi was here, just having her around made them all seem to forget their worries, at least for a moment. 

“By the way Mimi, who’s she?” A boy in a hat spoke as everyone turned to look at Rita, making all of her previous tension return. “This is my cousin Rita, she’s also a Digidestined!” Mimi smiled, they all appeared to be rather surprised. “Oh I remember you talking about her before, it’s nice to meet you.” The girl Rita assumed was Sora smiled. “Did you come to visit with Mimi?” A younger girl asked. “That’s right, I have heard a lot about you all from Mimi, it’s very nice to finally meet you!” Rita smiled sweetly, her eyes glancing over everyone and their Digimon. Rita had to admit she was jealous, she wished that Mikumon was here now. Rita took notice how one of the boys’ eyes widened, looking concerned about something behind her. “Rita!” A familiar voice called, feeling her heart pounding she turned around to see the friend she had longed for right in front of her eyes. “M-Mikumon…” Tears fell from Rita’s eyes, the big red eyes looking into hers too begun to tear. “Rita!” Mikumon cried out as she ran, diving into Rita’s arms, being hugged so tightly she had trouble breathing. “How are you here?” Rita continued to cry. “I don’t know, I suddenly just felt you near and here I am…” Mikumon looked up before nuzzling back into Rita’s chest. “Mikumon it’s so great to see you again!” Mimi waved, happy that the two were also reunited. “So this is your Digimon partner then?” The boy Rita knew to be Izzy spoke as he approached her. “Yes!” Rita smiled, her gentle and happy response caught Izzy off guard, causing his heart to skip a beat. “Sorry to ask, but I need as much information as I can get. You just appeared through what looked like a distortion, how did you manage to come here?” Izzy asked, Mikumon tilted her head to the side, looking slightly perplexed. “I’m not sure, I suddenly felt Rita wanting to see me and I wanted to see her and then I was here…” Mikumon responded. “So it was due to a desire to meet the other…” Izzy muttered to himself. “Did you figure something out?” Rita questioned. “No, just adding more theories, our Digimon appeared before us just when we needed them, it’s hard to say if the distortions are related at all.” Izzy spoke, Rita was quite impressed, she had heard a lot about Izzy from Mimi and the things he was capable of always blew her mind. He in the very least peeked her interest. “Anyhow, the question right now is how do we get back home?” Izzy questioned aloud. “I will take you all home, hurry up and get in!” The woman who brought Rita and Mimi to the others spoke before heading back to her overly large car. Everyone looked at each other in hesitation, however all agreed it was okay, after all this person had brought Mimi and Rita to them so she couldn’t be an enemy. 

The car was silent as everyone was squished together. “Who is she anyway?” Matt questioned. “She looks scary,” Sora added. “Well I’m glad we’re all going home safely anyways,” Tai spoke with a relieved tone. The Digimon had all exhausted themselves out and were sound asleep. “Where are Joe and Gomamon?” Mimi questioned, Rita was also curious why he was the only one of the Original DigiDestined that wasn’t here. “We don’t know,” TK responded. “Maybe something stopped him from coming? Tai pondered. “Yeah, maybe. He is in his final year after all.” Sora added. “His final year huh?” Mimi thought aloud. Rita’s eyes glanced from Mimi to beside her where she noticed that Izzy had been looking for the last while. Rita instantly knew what it meant, not that she could blame him. He looked like a kid in love for the first time, it was rather cute. Of course Mimi took notice almost as quick as Rita did. “What is it Izzy?” Mimi asked, Izzy quickly evaded his eyes. “No, it's nothing,” he spoke, however the blush remaining on his face wasn’t helping his cause. “Ah, have I gotten so cute that your heart is racing?” Mimi teased, however at the same time hitting the mark. “T-that's not it!” Izzy defended, although the redness of his cheeks proved different. “I was kidding!” Mimi laughed, Izzy looked extremely embarrassed, quickly trying to change the subject. “You came back to watch Tai’s soccer game, right?” “Oh I remember, give me the airfare!” Mimi responded, looking in Tai’s direction. “Eehh?” Tai cried out, “I’m just kidding! I’ll be back for a while because of Papa’s work, so take good care of me!” She waved. “Wha?” Everyone cried out. It appeared as though she wanted to surprise them all. It was just like her to do something like that.

After being dropped off, Rita settled into Mimi’s house. She was going to be starting school the following day and her nerves hadn’t decreased in the slightest. Well possibly a little since she had already met most of the DigiDestined group, that and Mimi and Mikumon were with her. She smiled to herself as she pet Mikumon who was sound asleep on her bed. It appeared that from here on out things were going to get interesting, high school was one thing, but these Digimon attacks… they weren’t over and she knew deep down that things were going to only get worse. The following morning only proved what Rita thought, the TV was filled with people talking horribly about the Digimon. It wasn't a surprise, however having partner Digimon made all of the angry comments hurt. It’s normal to be scared of what happened and hope that the Digimon didn’t come back, but the fact that people didn't see there were good Digimon fighting to protect them, that hurt Rita deeply. At school people were all talking about the attacks, it was all anyone was talking about. There may have been less pressure on Rita this way as a new transfer student, but saying terrible things about the Digimon… Rita rather have all of those hurtful words thrown at her instead. 

After reporting in, it appeared another girl was also transferring into the school, and she seemed way more nervous than Rita was. It turned out that Rita and Mimi would be in the same class which was a huge relief for Rita. Her Japanese wasn’t perfect, she was fluent but there were some words and Kanji that she struggled with. At least with Mimi by her side she wouldn’t be as nervous and would have someone to talk to. Exiting the teacher’s office, they were met with Izzy, Tai, Sora and Matt. “Mimi, what are you doing here?” Izzy asked. “What, didn’t I tell you? Rita and I are enrolling in 1st year as of today! Same class as you Izzy!” Mimi stated cheerfully, as the girl behind them then sneezed, catching everyone’s attention. However, she just looked embarrassed as she quickly ran off. “Your friend?” Sora asked, “no, she recently transferred here too, in 2nd year. Maybe she will be in your class Sora!” Mimi responded. “Really?” Sora spoke before the bell sounded. “Izzy, can you escort Rita and I to class?” Mimi asked in a cheerful manner, as if Izzy would ever say no. “Yes of course!” Izzy replied, he was obviously happy to do so. Rita couldn’t help but wonder if Izzy had always been like this, from what Mimi told her he only seemed interested in his computer. Though at the age he was now at, Rita really shouldn't be so surprised. It was amusing, watching him like this. You couldn’t help but want to support him. 

Saying goodbye to the others, the 1st years all walked to class together. “Umm Miss Rita how are you enjoying your stay in Japan so far?” Izzy questioned very politely. “No need to be so formal, just call me Rita!” Rita smiled back making Izzy’s heart start to race. He wasn’t used to talking to girls, other than the DigiDestined and some members of the computer club. “Oh, sure then!” He responded instantly, a slightly embarrassed look on his face. Rita found it cute, he appeared to be the type who was shy around girls. “Since I haven’t been here very long it’s hard to say, I’m sure I will adjust soon. If you have some free time later, I would really enjoy being able to talk to you.” Rita spoke, Izzy turned instantly red making Mimi laugh. “You see Rita has always been fascinated by the Digital World, always asking me tons of questions I can’t exactly answer, so I told her you are the perfect person for her to talk to!” Mimi winked. “I see, of course, if you want we can talk at lunch since I have some free time.” Izzy responded, Rita just smiled back. “I would love that, thanks!”

It came as a relief, but class went by surprisingly fast for Rita. She was extremely nervous when introducing herself at the front of the class, even though Mimi had gone first and was her usual chipper self. Seeing Izzy at the back of the class smiling for some reason felt reassuring to her. Even if Mimi wasn’t always around, Rita at least had someone else she could rely on. The class whispered a bit when Rita had stood at the front, it was easy for the students to tell that she was a halfer, unlike Mimi. The class seemed excited though, which also gave Rita some sense of ease. When lunch time had come up a few of the students approached both Mimi and Rita, asking them quite a few questions. It was nice that people were taking an interest in her, although with Izzy standing, waiting for her, Rita really wished she could just slip out unnoticed. “Rita has something to do, but if anyone has any more questions I would be happy to answer them!” Mimi spoke, giving Rita a little wink. Extremely relieved, Rita took the chance Mimi had graciously given her, politely excusing herself from the conversation and rushing over to Izzy. “Sorry about that,” Rita spoke, catching her breath. “Don’t worry, it’s natural that people are drawn to Mimi, that and transfers from overseas aren’t so common.” Izzy replied as the two of them walked to find a quieter place to talk. “You must be glad that Mimi is back though,” Rita smiled as a dark blush plastered itself on Izzy’s face. “W-well it’s always nice when the DigiDestined are all together, it has been a while!” Izzy stammered, trying to avoid looking Rita in the eyes, which were fixed on his face, giving him a little smirk. “You know that you are easy to read right?” Rita chuckled as Izzy’s face grew even darker. “P-please don’t tell her, she will just tease me…” Rita could see just how mortified Izzy felt, a feeling kept making itself present in her chest. She wanted to help him, seeing him looking sad like this bothered her and if she could help him then why wouldn't she? “Don't worry I won’t, besides Mimi isn’t like that…” Rita spoke, her lips curving into a gentle smile. “Mimi likely teases you because you react easy, but if you actually told her how you felt there is no way she would ever do something that would hurt you or make you sad.” Izzy was a little surprised, of course since Rita was Mimi’s cousin she would likely know her well. Just the look on her face when talking about Mimi was so gentle and loving, even with his lack of skills when it came to understanding people, one thing was sure, Rita thought the world of Mimi, there was a deep respect for her. “You really care a lot for her don’t you?” Izzy smiled, catching Rita by shock. “Yeah I do; I guess we’re alike then!” She smiled back, making the blush return to Izzy’s face.

The two found a spot outside on the roof. The weather was perfect, a light breeze passing them by. “It’s so nice out here!” Rita stated, spreading her arms out wide. Izzy took a seat on the roof bench, watching Rita spin around in the wind. “So what is it that you would like to know about the Digital World?” Izzy asked, his eyes on Rita’s back, waiting for a response. “Well everything!” Rita spun to face him, a warm smile on her face. Izzy felt his heart start racing again, there was something about this girl. It was quite possible that like Rita had said earlier, the two were alike. “Sorry, I guess everything may be a little hard to cover, I’ll leave it up to you, how much time you are willing to offer me.” Rita chuckled before walking over to take a seat next to Izzy. “Well I don’t mind, though I doubt we will be able to cover everything during this lunch break. I suppose you can always come stop by my office, although I tend to get caught up in my work…” Izzy pondered aloud, trying to distract himself from the fact that Rita was sitting so close to him. “Office?” Rita questioned, tilting her head to the side. “I work at a company belonging to my friend who lives overseas.” “Wow, you really are amazing!” Rita’s eyes lit up, leaning in closer to him. Izzy’s face turned bright red once again, making Rita just smile, he really was cute. “R-really I’m not!” Izzy stuttered, attempting to cover his cheeks. “You are; I knew already from all the things Mimi has told me about you.” Rita grinned, she knew that he would be happy knowing that Mimi praised him so much. “I- I see…” His blush remained as bright as before, however his lips curved into a noticeable smile. “How about we make a trade then?” Rita proposed, snapping Izzy from his previous thoughts. “A trade?” Izzy questioned. “Yeah, you can tell me as much as you know about the Digital World and in return I will help you with Mimi.” Rita’s words caught Izzy by surprise. “W-what do you mean help me with Mimi?” Izzy’s blush grew darker again. “Like it sounds, you can come to me for advice or if you just ever feel like talking or venting. I know Mimi well so you’d be better off talking to me over any of your male friends.” Rita responded, Izzy felt even more nervous than before. “I- I suppose that sounds fine…” Izzy looked down, meeting Rita’s eyes for some reason was rather hard at the moment. “For the record though… I think you are fine just the way you are, have more confidence in yourself.” Rita smiled gently, placing her hand on Izzy’s arm. He continued to blush, however as embarrassed as he was, her words made him really happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who wants to know what Rita and Mikumon look like!
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/mindsebbandflow/art/Rita-Tachikawa-Tri-585686802
> 
> https://www.deviantart.com/mindsebbandflow/art/Mikumon-and-younger-forms-585686835

Izzy had managed to cover quite a few topics, going into detail and surprised yet pleased that Rita was able to follow his complicated explanations. He had explained how the Digital World was a shadow world to the real world, and how everything was linked. Izzy even showed Rita the Digital code language and how they had translated it before to solve prophecies. Rita was more and more impressed by Izzy, the fact he was able to solve all these puzzles was one thing, but more so was when this was all happening he was only ten years old. Everyone relied on him from the beginning and always turned to him to solve the problem. That was an incredible amount of pressure put on him, literally the fate of the world. “You’re amazing…” Rita blushed, just awestruck by him. “P-please stop saying that…” Izzy blushed in return, the amount of praise he had gotten already in one day from Rita was more than he ever had received prior. Rita sighed before giving Izzy a small smile. “You really have no idea do you?” Izzy’s cheeks remained red, he knew he was in the top 1% of intelligence, in fact he was even at the top of that. It’s not that he hadn’t had people call him amazing before, stunned by his capabilities, it was just this girl… the way she looked at him was a little different. After all it was obvious she was quite smart herself, she saw things logically like he did. Still, he couldn’t help but feel like she was someone he would end up becoming quite close to. 

“Izzy, can I ask you a personal question?” Rita asked, Izzy felt his chest tighten. “S-sure go ahead.” He answered, a bit nervous about what she wanted to know. “When you were first transported to the Digital World, when you were just a kid… were you scared at all? What I mean is weren’t you homesick or anything?” Rita couldn't help but wonder, he must have been even more antisocial when he was younger, as much as she wished she could have been with them, Rita knew she would miss her parents so much she would have spent most of the time crying. “Well truth be told we were all scared, so much happened so fast, it was only when we stopped to rest that we had time to process things, when we weren’t sleeping that is. Before I had pulled myself, distanced myself from my parents more and more. I buried myself in my computer, completely isolating myself from everyone around me. That’s why they sent me to that summer camp in the first place, hoping I would get off the computer for a bit and actually socialise. It was thanks to meeting Tentomon and my time in the Digital World that I was able to grow up and stop running away from my parents. It may have been hard and scary at times but I wouldn’t be who I am now if I hadn’t gone through all of that.” Izzy explained, he himself was a little curious to why he was able to open up so easily to her, it wasn’t like him after all. Looking over at Rita, Izzy’s heart raced seeing such a pure and gentle smile on her face, almost as if she herself was saying “I understand.” “See, you are amazing.” She grinned, Izzy’s face grew redder and redder. “When I was little I was so attached to my parents that I would have spent most of the time crying. Maybe now would be different, but I still cry easy. I believe you are an incredibly strong person, if anyone says otherwise then they’re an idiot!” Rita spoke, stretching her arms out. “I believe you are a strong person too, you’re a DigiDestined after all.” Izzy gave Rita a reassuring smile, making her heart race. She shook her head, trying to bring herself back to reality. For some reason she wanted to hug him just now, most likely a bad idea on her part. Yet she couldn't deny that there was a strong feeling inside her, wanting to be close to him. 

“Can I ask you something else?” Rita spoke, a little worried she was crossing a line, they hadn’t known each other long and she was intruding on his personal life quite a bit. “Sure,” Izzy replied, oddly enough he didn't mind answering anything she asked. It wasn’t often that someone other than his parents cared to know such personal things about him. “I was just curious since I’ve had my own problems with my family but… why were you avoiding your parents back then?” Izzy’s eyes widened, she really did appear to be rather curious about him. “When I was really young, years before I was taken to the Digital World, I overheard my parents talking one night. I found out that they had been keeping a huge secret from me, that I was adopted…” Izzy’s eyes grew a little sad, Rita’s heart ached, him remembering that time seemed to bring up those feelings he once kept hidden all to himself, that sadness and loneliness. “I was in denial at first, pretending that I misheard or misunderstood, but without me being aware of it, I had continued to distance myself from them. I closed my heart up then, and only because of Tentomon was I able to confront them about it. Well after all that happened, they decided it was time to tell me. I had always tried to act like the ideal son for them since they had done so much for me, but I learned then that it didn't matter that I wasn’t their biological son. They loved me like I was and I loved them, nothing would ever change that.” A warm expression shone on Izzy’s face, it was clear how much he and his family cared for each other. Rita couldn't hold back, tears formed in her eyes, streaming down her face. “W-what’s wrong?” Izzy panicked the second he took notice of Rita’s face. Her eyes widening as she quickly rubbed the tears from her eyes. “S-sorry! This… well this happens sometimes. I was able to sense how you felt then, I don’t know why but I have a bad habit of crying when I feel compassion towards someone, I’m sure I made you uncomfortable… sorry.” Rita spoke, continuing to rub her eyes before shyly looking up at Izzy. His heart was pounding; this odd girl was crying for him? “N-no it’s okay, I’m just not great with emotions or when people start crying, I don’t know what to do or say…” Izzy responded, his hand reached out towards her before instantly being pulled back. Rita just smiled, “you don’t have to do or say anything, really… I’m just happy you told me… so thank you for opening up to me.” Rita’s beautiful smile was completely captivating, she was someone who was truly beautiful, inside in out. That is what Izzy thought in that moment, she was different from Mimi but she still was able to make his heart skip a beat. 

The bell rang, informing them that it was now time to return to class. “I guess we better head back,” Izzy spoke before standing up. “Yeah, oh but first!” Rita’s voice grew suddenly chipper as she then reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a cell phone. “We should exchange numbers!” Rita continued, holding her phone in front of her. “Right.” Izzy nodded, pulling out his cell as well before giving the other their info. “Message me whenever you like,” Rita said as she put her phone back in her pocket; walking alongside Izzy to class. “Thanks, I will…” he responded, clutching his laptop close to him. The halls filled with students returning to their classes. A familiar face waited for them outside their homeroom door, waving the two over. Mimi hoped that their talk went well, she had figured that the two of them would get along. 

When school was over the DigiDestined all met up at a location under a bridge that they had previously agreed on. Rita felt a little out of place, even if she was a DigiDestined with her own partner Digimon, she was different. She didn’t have the close bonds to the others, hadn’t experienced the same hardships they had to endure. Even though they welcomed her and clearly wanted her to join them, that distance was still there. Things were silent for a while, there was a noticeable tension between Tai and Matt, something Rita was told happened from time to time. Luckily the last member of the team showed up just in time to draw focus. “There he is, hey Joe!” Sora cheerfully waved. “Sorry I’m late,” he responded as he walked down the stairs. Mimi didn’t waste any time, running up to meet him with a hug. “It’s been ages! A souvenir for you, I’m so happy to see you!” Mimi spoke as she handed Joe a bag of her favourite gummi candies, before hugging him once again. “You haven’t changed Mimi,” Joe responded, looking a little uncomfortable. “Sorry to drag you away from studying,” Sora smiled. “It’s okay, I also have something to say.” Joe stated to everyone’s surprise. Walking over to the group, Joe took notice of Rita, giving her a small smile. “You must be Rita, it’s very nice to meet you,” he spoke. “It’s very nice to meet you as well, I have heard a lot about you.” Rita smiled back, trying to hide her nervousness, although it seemed that Joe was also trying to avoid the awkwardness. “Okay let’s get started then,” Izzy spoke, to which everyone suddenly gathered around him and his computer. “First, let’s sort out the current situation. I made a summary of six recent, strange events. First… the gate to the Digital World has been closed off for at least a year.” Izzy informed. “For some reason the Digivice was malfunctioning,” TK added, looking down at his D3. “That’s the second event. Third, the regional radio disturbances occurred mainly around Odaiba, right after, we had that mysterious blackout. Forth was radio disturbances that brought down the networks, except for wired ones. There was poor reception for cell phones, radiophones, and TV broadcasts. The fifth event, for unknown reasons, space has been distorted, which has created a new, non-gate connection to the Digital World. That’s how the Digimon got to this world.” “Like Kuwagamon yesterday…” Sora added. “The sixth event, the Digimon emerging through these distortions in space are all new to us. They went through some unknown mutation. I suspect all events were caused by the distortions in the curvature of space. Initially I didn’t know why the first two happened, but now I’m sure it was the same cause. It’s clear that the radio disturbance was due to the distortions in space, most likely when the Digital World connected to our world.” Izzy continued to explain, even though the conversation shifted to Kari and Tai. “Did you talk to Mr. Nishijima?” Kari asked. “No, he didn’t come to school.” Tai responded disappointed. “Did you see the news?” Mimi asked. “Isn’t it terrible,” Kari spoke sadly. “Poor Patamon and the others…” TK looked sad as well. “I’ll ask my dad to make a complaint against the media,” Matt insisted. “They’re whipping up attention by creating scare tactics,” Joe stated. “But some of the reporting is true,” Tai chimed in, resulting in the others to turn to him rather shocked. “The airport and Odaiba were totally destroyed by Kuwagamon, I saw the site so I cannot…” Tai continued before being interrupted by Mimi in anger. “It would’ve been worse if Agumon hadn’t tried to stop them!” “She’s right! It’s wrong to blame our Digimon friends, I won’t accept that.” Matt too came to the Digimon’s defence, however Tai remained silent, he knew that was true, but so was his point. “What is it? What do you want to say Tai? No need to hesitate, as Izzy said, something bad is already happening. There’s something that only we can do!” Matt yelled as Izzy continued to ramble on, not seeming to realise that no one was listening to him anymore. “But…” Tai spoke, “But what? Have you forgotten Tai? All we experienced in the Digital World, the battles we fought to save the world!” Matt argued back. “I’d never forget that!” Tai yelled back, his eyes showed the intensity of his feelings, Rita knew there was no way any of them would forget. Still, Tai seemed to have something on his mind, Rita understood. Even if their Digimon helped protect their world, other Digimon have tried to destroy it. Not everyone can see the difference between them and understand their feelings, that was just how life worked. People would naturally be scared, just because the DigiDestined understood what was going on and how hard they were fighting to protect everyone, the world doesn’t. Rita felt bad, she knew the point Tai was trying to make, it was hard to be unbiased as a DigiDestined, but Tai was trying to see if from other’s point of view. “Then why, Tai?” Matt continued to angrily pester him, yet Tai didn't waver. “Calm down Matt!” Sora cried out, trying to stop their fighting as usual. “Tai, if you are so vulnerable, then… I’ve had enough, there’s no point in having this meeting.” Matt stated, turning his back. “Oi Matt!” Tai called out before Matt walked away. “Tai…” Sora spoke with concern. “I may as well go back myself,” Tai declared before he too left the meeting. Everyone looked disheartened, being that Tai and Matt were usually the ones to make decisions, it was not a good time for them to be fighting. “It’s okay, I’ll talk to Matt later!” TK spoke as he stood up. “I will talk to Tai,” Kari agreed. “Shall we go home then?” Sora asked. “I’m so hungry, does someone want to grab a bite with Rita and me?” Mimi chimed in. “So I’m going then?” Rita questioned, being she hadn’t stated she was going. “I have to study,” Joe responded. “You know a break will do you good,” Mimi insisted. “Not me, I don’t even have time for my girlfriend.” Joe sighed, “girlfriend?” Everyone including Izzy cried out. “Look who’s paying attention now,” Rita smiled to herself, finding it amusing that Izzy suddenly returned to the conversation. “You have a girlfriend Joe?” Izzy questioned in disbelief. “No way! I don’t believe it!” Mimi stated her opinion rather bluntly. “Is she human?” TK asked. “TK that’s a terrible thing to say…” Kari muttered. “Is it really that odd?” Rita questioned, looking around at the other’s faces. “You guys think I am lying… I’m the oldest one here so I have the first right to be happy!” Joe defended himself. “Let’s believe him then…” Mimi responded in a very non-convincing tone. “We believe you,” everyone spoke with their eyes clearly showing they didn’t. “No you don’t!” Joe cried out, Rita didn't know him well enough to say anything, but she was sure he was telling the truth.

The girls all decided to go together to get something to eat. Outside the station the girls’ eyes widened to see their Digimon partners “attempting” to blend in. It was rather cute, Rita smiled as she bent down to place her hand on Mikumon’s head. Rookie Digimon were rather like children, even if they are meant to protect you, in the end you can’t help but watch over them. Mimi insisted that they go for monja, something she had been craving since returning to Japan. Sitting down to eat, Mimi was over the moon. Rita had never tried monja before but she really enjoyed it, such a simple idea yet satisfying. The Digimon too loved it, and it was handy that it was rather cheap, since Digimon eat a lot. “What were we talking about?” Kari pondered, remembering that they were deep in conversation before the food arrived. “Tai and Matt’s fight,” Sora reminded her. “Just leave them be,” Mimi mumbled as she ate. “But…” Sora muttered with concern. “Can’t do it? They’ve both grown to be very handsome, what’re you going to do Sora?” Mimi teased, causing Sora to turn bright red, coughing as she shoveled more food down. Both Kari and Rita chuckled, somehow that led to the Digimon discussing what their “type” was. A rather misinformed albeit entertaining conversation. Sora looked a little out of it as she got up, Rita wondered if there was something on her mind. The timing worked out for the Digimon as they had finished their helping and wanted more. Mimi took notice of Rita, since they had left the meet up it seemed like her mind was elsewhere. “Rita what’s wrong? You seem a little distracted,” Mimi questioned. Rita blushed slightly as she suddenly became the focus. “N-nothing, sorry I guess I am still getting used to things here. Trying to observe more than acting right now, Japan is so different compared to North America.” Rita responded, in a way what she said was true, however that wasn’t what she was thinking about in that moment. She had been thinking about how Izzy was faring, shopping with TK. There was a little part of her that wanted to go with him, but whenever she thought about it an uncomfortable feeling would envelop her chest. “That makes sense, just try to relax though, we all understand you need time to adjust.” Kari smiled reassuringly, making Rita feel more at ease. “Now that I think about it you talked with Izzy at lunch today didn't you?” Sora smiled, surprising Rita by the specific change of topic. “Right right! I never did ask how that went! You always wanted to know as much as you could about the Digital World. Did you get all of your answers?” Mimi interrogated. “I learned a lot, Izzy really is amazing! We didn’t have time to cover everything but he said we can talk whenever he has the time.” Rita smiled gently. “I knew that the two of you would get along well! At least you can follow his train of thought, his explanations always make my head hurt.” Mimi informed, Sora and Kari nodding in agreement. Their responses made Rita really happy, but what she didn’t understand was why. 

Izzy and TK had headed out to do some clothes shopping, although Izzy decided to do it online with a new program that he developed. Tentomon might have made it rather obvious to TK what Izzy’s motivation had been for this sudden interest in fashion. TK being observant figured out instantly that it had to do with Mimi. “I still think that maybe working on your confidence would be a better start. If you go with someone then it’s possible you won’t get so embarrassed talking to the sales clerk.” TK informed, causing a slight blush to return to Izzy’s cheeks. “Still, I wouldn’t know what to buy and I think your style might be a bit flashy for me.” Izzy responded. “Why don’t you ask Rita?” Tentomon cut in, peeking TK’s interest. Izzy’s face turned a darker shade of red as TK gave Izzy a rather inquisitive look. “So why Rita?” TK asked Tentomon who was more upfront about things. “Izzy told me that Rita said she would help him with advice and things when it came to Mimi in exchange for him telling her all he knows about the Digital World.” “I see, going with a girl is a good idea, at least it will help you be more comfortable with talking around them. Plus, Rita is really pretty, don’t you think?” TK grinned, clearly trying to get a reaction out of Izzy. His cheeks lit up again, avoiding his eyes making contact with anyone. “Do you have her number? If you do, then you should send her a message!” TK insisted, Izzy pulled his phone out, looking down at it nervously. “W-what should I say then?” Izzy asked, turning to look at TK for help. “Let me!” TK stated, taking hold of Izzy’s phone. 

The girls had finished eating when Rita’s phone buzzed, pulling it out she was surprised to see that Izzy had sent her a text.

‘Hey Rita, if you aren’t busy right now could you meet me down by the bridge? I can send you a map if you need help with directions, thanks!  
Izzy’

Rita was slightly thrown off, for some reason that text didn't seem like Izzy to her. “Is something the matter?” Mimi asked, noticing that Rita was looking rather oddly at her phone. “Ah no, I just have something I have to do right now, Mikumon you can go back with Mimi okay?” Rita smiled to everyone’s surprise. “Okay Rita, be safe!” Mikumon agreed. She knew that if Rita told her to go with Mimi then whatever she had to do she wanted to do it alone. Mikumon wouldn’t argue, as worried as she could get. “We will see you tomorrow then,” Sora stated as she picked up Biyomon. “I’ll take care of Mikumon, just don’t come back too late!” Mimi responded, she too knew something was up, she would for sure try to get it out of her later. Rita responded to Izzy saying she was on her way before saying her goodbyes to the girls. Even if Rita wasn’t sure where she was going, the map helped. Lucky for her Odaiba wasn’t big, it only took her ten minutes to arrive at the location. Seeing TK still with Izzy made more sense, she figured out instantly that he was the one who actually messaged her. “S-sorry to call you here,” Izzy spoke apologetically. “No worries, we finished eating and were just paying when I got your message, or should I say TK’s!” Rita grinned, widening the eyes of both boys. “How did you know I sent it?” TK questioned as Rita took a seat beside Izzy. “Well I don’t know, but I just felt when reading it that it didn't sound like Izzy.” Rita responded as she stretched her arms out. Izzy felt a little flustered, TK on the other hand was intrigued. “Well Izzy needs your help with something, if it’s not too much trouble.” Tentomon informed, causing Rita to chuckle. “I said it’s fine, besides he can ask me himself right?” Rita smiled as she brought her face closer to Izzy’s red one. “Er well you see… I wanted some advice on fashion…” Izzy stated nervously. “Okay what do you want to know then?” Rita answered, however Izzy seemed too awkward to explain. “Okay here is the thing, Izzy said that you would help him when it came to his crush on Mimi. Because of her love of fashion, he wants to try getting into it a bit more, however… he gets too nervous talking to the sales women. He tried doing it online with a program but I think he would be better off with you consulting him.” TK explained, turning Izzy’s face bright red. “I see, makes sense. Don't worry I can help with that, if you want tomorrow after school we can go shopping together.” Rita informed. “T-thanks…” Izzy looked extremely embarrassed which Rita found adorable. “Also if the two of you go together the store employees will likely assume you two are on a date, so Izzy shouldn't be so nervous right?” TK proposed. “That is true,” Rita pondered, wondering if that plan would work. “D-date…” Izzy muttered as he covered his face from the obvious blush. “It’s not like it is a real date, so don’t worry so much!” TK grinned as he patted Izzy on the back. “So tomorrow after school then? I’m looking forward to it!” Rita gave Izzy a sparkly look, making his heart start racing. He had no idea how he would manage this, he was already feeling so flustered. “Izzy you are as red as I am!” Tentomon stated, not helping with Izzy’s condition. TK, Patamon and Rita laughed, Izzy buried his face into his laptop. “Don’t worry I think it’s cute,” Rita blushed slightly herself as she placed her hand on Izzy’s shoulder, causing him to be even more embarrassed. TK couldn’t help but notice something going on between the two. It seemed possible by the way she looked at Izzy that there were feelings there, even if she didn’t realize it herself.


	3. Chapter 3

The following day after school, Rita grabbed all of her things before turning to Mimi. “Thanks for agreeing to look after Mikumon today, I’ll bring everyone home a treat!” Rita stated with a smile. “No worries, have fun shopping with Izzy. I’m still a little surprised he asked you for help instead of me, but you get along well with him so I guess that makes sense.” Mimi considered. “Y-yeah… I'll see you later then!” Rita waved, she had of course kept the secret why Izzy needed her help, but oddly enough Mimi didn’t pry too much into why. Rita couldn't help but wonder if Mimi already knew about Izzy’s crush. “See you later!” Mimi waved back before taking off herself. Rita walked over to Izzy who was just packing up his laptop. “Ready to go?” Rita smiled as she stood over him, startling him a little. “Uh yeah!” Izzy stood up before joining Rita in leaving their classroom. He couldn't help but notice that them leaving together caught some attention. Rita may have not been as outgoing as Mimi but she seemed to be popular among the guys. “Is something wrong?” Rita asked due to Izzy’s silence. “N-no nothing, sorry…” Izzy responded suddenly. “You can tell me, I told you before that you are easy to read.” Rita chuckled, catching Izzy by surprise. It was true that his face was rather expressive, her eyes showed that she wasn’t going to back down until he told her. “It’s just… I noticed that while walking out we’ve attracted some attention.” “I see, I wonder why…?” Rita pondered, a smile grew on Izzy’s face. Rita seemed to be a little dense when it came to herself, it was rather amusing. 

Arriving at Aqua City the two first made their way to the map. “So did you have any idea where you wanted to start?” Rita questioned as she turned to look at Izzy. “Er not really,” Izzy responded. “You don’t have any favourite clothing stores?” Rita asked, a little surprised since most people had at least a few places they would normally go to. “N-no…” Izzy blushed, his behaviour seeming rather odd for such a simple question. “Why is that?” Rita continued to pry as her eyes intensely fixated on Izzy’s. “It’s because… beforehand my mother was the one who bought all of my clothes.” Izzy admitted, Rita tried to stifle her laugh, only to make Izzy even more red and embarrassed. “Sorry I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s nothing to be ashamed of, actually it’s rather cute.” Rita quickly came to his defence; she really did find it cute. “Right…” Izzy continued to blush, that was now the second time she had called him cute. That was not something he was used to hearing from girls his age. “Well why don’t we just walk around and go in whatever looks good,” Rita suggested. “Yeah that sounds good,” Izzy quickly responded, still trying to cover how nervous he was. Rita smiled back before starting to walk again, Izzy followed behind her, already noticing that a few sets of eyes had fallen on her. It wasn’t a surprise, she was extremely pretty and even if she was more reserved then Mimi was, there was still something that attracted people to her as well. Walking through the mall, Rita pointed out a few stores, as well as stopped to see a few things that had caught her eye. She appeared to be rather fond of Japanese fashion, opposite of Mimi who seemed to prefer the latest New York trend. Keeping up with her pace, Izzy continued to notice eyes on the two of them, often leading to some whispers spoken amongst those who had looked their way before. The thought that TK had mentioned before couldn't help but pop back up in his mind. When others looked at them, did it appear as though the two of them were on a date? Izzy’s heart started to speed up again, and it didn't help when Rita suddenly jumped in front of him, looking up at him with her beautiful smile. “What’s wrong? I found a great store to start in!” Rita asked, and before he had a chance to answer, she had taken his hand, pulling him along her speedy movements. 

The fact that his hand was being held rather tightly by Rita couldn't go by unnoticed. He knew he must have been bright red; however, this was the first time he was in a situation like this. The feeling of warmth surrounding his hand was comforting, yet at the same time sent his stomach a flutter. Was it just because a beautiful girl had taken his hand happily, on purpose? Would he feel this sensation with anyone else? He wasn’t sure, he liked Mimi after all, yet he wouldn't disregard the possibility of him having a bit of a crush on Rita as well. Things were so much simpler when he wasn’t being controlled by his hormones. “Hey Izzy, are you sure you’re okay?” Rita looked concerned, it was highly likely he had completely zoned out. “I’m fine, sorry!” He panicked, waving his hands in front of him, noticing the cold air hitting his fingers more so than normal, since Rita had let go of his hand when they arrived at the store she had mentioned. “Hmm… okay, well I think this is a good store to start in. Looking around it appears to be good quality and the prices are amazing! I really have noticed how the cost of clothing here is much more reasonable then back home. I seriously love Japan!” She grinned, sending a jolt through Izzy’s body. “Is it really expensive in North America?” Izzy wondered, changing his mind from emotions to knowledge seemed to help him calm down. “Yeah it’s crazy, plus things here are much cuter! I think you should just look around and try on whatever you like, if you want my opinion just ask, okay?” Rita was very kind, he still wasn't exactly sure why she would be going out of her way like this for him, although he appreciated the help and rather enjoyed her company. 

His eyes glanced around, looking at all of the different styles, he wasn’t exactly sure where to begin. “So what do you think would look good?” Izzy’s eyes turned back to Rita who was watching with amusement. He looked like a kitten going outside for the first time, curious but hesitant. “Listen, I’m a big believer of people being themselves, don’t worry so much about what others will think as long as you like it and feel comfortable wearing it. I promise that if you look ridiculous that I will tell you.” Rita spoke honestly, Izzy was a little relieved at her words. He was still very self-aware in the present moment; Rita was watching him carefully and even though her words held some comfort, he didn't want to embarrass himself. It had been quite some time and Izzy had yet to choose anything to try on. “Do you need any help?” Izzy felt his face flush just from hearing the young woman’s voice, this had been the problem when he tried before. He just stood there, unable to say anything when Rita stepped in front of him. “Thanks, we should be okay for now, just trying to find out what appeals to him!” Rita stated, taking all the pressure off of him. “Okay, let me know if you need anything!” The sales clerk responded. “Will do,” Rita smiled warmly before turning to look back at Izzy with a slightly exasperated face. “Thanks…” Izzy continued to blush. “Don’t worry so much, no one is judging you, and I promise that if somehow you manage to draw attention I will steal it away by doing something embarrassing.” Rita chuckled, Izzy was taken back by her consideration of his feelings. He knew she wasn’t one who liked eyes on her either, yet she would go that far for him. “Rita… I uh…” he began to speak, however her eyes which were fixed on his sparkled, so much he became a little distracted. She just smiled before turning to one of the tables. “Let me help pick out a few things I think would suit you, just let me know your size, I still have no idea how they work here… shoes are the worst, I mean how can they have so many different conversions for the same size? I wish they would just do a universal one now!” Rita ranted, bringing a small smile to Izzy’s face. He knew she was trying to make him feel more at ease, although no matter what she said or did, it wasn’t likely that his heart was going to stop pounding.

Izzy felt drained, online shopping was so much easier. Rita had chosen quite a lot of things he liked, she seemed to understand his tastes and didn't push his comfort zone at all. “You did well today.” Rita chuckled, taking notice on how tired Izzy looked. “Yeah, well I couldn’t have done it without you, I really do appreciate you taking the time to help me.” Izzy responded, feeling a bit guilty that she had to watch him try on clothes for hours. “Think nothing of it, I had a lot of fun.” Rita stated to Izzy’s complete shock. “How exactly was that fun for you?” Izzy questioned, his eyebrows showing his obvious confusion. “I enjoy spending time with you is all, you are rather interesting, not to mention amusing, since your face is so easy to read.” Rita proclaimed, turning Izzy’s face a bright shade of red. Rita really found him cute, especially when he was blushing, which happened rather often. “I-I see…” Izzy couldn’t look her in the eyes, he just gripped his bag tightly while her words continued to repeat in his head. She enjoyed spending time with him? He had never heard that one before, especially from a girl. He had always offended people in the past since he would burry himself in his computer and wasn’t exactly known for being much fun. However, he knew she wasn’t lying, the way she looked at him was warm, it sort of reminded him of the way his mother would look at him. “Ah those are so cute!” Rita’s excited tone caught his attention, looking up to see they had stopped in front of an ice cream store. “Seriously! This company is from North America and Japan still does it better! Ours don’t look all cute like that…” Rita’s facial expression took a 180 as she went from excitement to pouting. Izzy chucked, surprising Rita. “W-what?” she blushed, wondering if she said something stupid. “You are rather interesting yourself,” Izzy smiled, turning Rita’s cheeks bright red. “A-ah I see… thanks,” she responded as she fiddled with her hair. Izzy thought her reaction was incredibly cute, like him she got embarrassed rather easy. “Let me get you one, it’s the least I can do to thank you for today.” Izzy stated, his gentle smile made Rita’s heart pound even faster. “I suppose I can let you do that,” Rita smiled back. 

After the two of them chose their flavours, Rita looked at her ice cream with brightly lit eyes. “I can tell you are fond of ice cream by the way you look at it,” Izzy pointed out. “Really? Am I that obvious?” Rita questioned, a little embarrassed that she was just fawning over food. Not as though that was something unusual for her. Izzy just nodded, although a smirk was present on his face. “Heh… my dad did tell me once I look the happiest when I am eating something I love… still not sure to take that as a positive or a negative.” Rita pondered aloud. “I think it’s a good thing, to feel so happy over something so simple, I’d say it means you enjoy the little things in life.” Izzy stated, his words made Rita feel all warm and fuzzy. “True!” She smiled back as the two of them continued to walk. Further into their ice cream, both their ears happened to catch the mutters of a few guys who were rather close. “Probably a pity date,” one snickered. “I bet it’s her way of thanking him for doing her homework.” Another laughed, “yeah I mean she is hot, did you see the size of her rack?” Izzy felt a bit disheartened, it’s not like he was surprised by those random teen’s thoughts. Rita on the other hand was furious, not about their inappropriate comments involving her figure, but what they said about Izzy. Those bastards had no idea how amazing he was; how perfect he was in her eyes. There was no doubt Izzy’s feelings were hurt and that was something she couldn’t forgive. “Don’t freak out,” Rita whispered as she slowly brought her face towards his. Her hand grazed past his cheek, bringing her lips to the cheek closest to her. Izzy froze completely when he felt her tongue brush up against his flushed skin. Pulling back Rita smiled, “you had some ice cream there, anyway darling we should go find a nice and quiet romantic spot!” Rita cooed, her fingers intertwining with Izzy’s as she pulled him along playfully. Her eyes quickly getting a glance at the teen boys’ stunned faces. They will think twice before saying anything like that again. 

Izzy was still in shock as Rita continued to pull him along, her fingers intertwined with his. There was still not enough time for him to process what happened, even when they had left the mall and the cool outside air hit his face. When Rita finally stopped she had let go of his hand and her cheeks were almost as red as his. “Sorry about that… I just can’t stand idiots like them, maybe I went a little far… but I think they learned their lesson!” Rita fidgeted, even if she was the one who came up with that little charade, her heart was racing none the less. Izzy looked as though he was about to explode, again looking so cute Rita had no chance of calming herself down. “N-no it’s fine, I mean thanks for that-er I mean not that, but for… ah… t-thanks…” Izzy stammered, feeling like a complete idiot. Rita smiled softly, her eyes were gentle and tried to hide the mass amount of emotions that were running through her. There was no longer any doubt in her mind, no other way to explain why her chest felt tight and why her stomach fluttered every time he looked at her. Rita liked Izzy, much more then she originally thought. In fact, she had already fallen pretty hard for him, but being as close to him as she just was made it clear that she wanted to be with him, to know everything about him. This genius who liked Rita’s cousin, someone she also loved… this was going to be a problem, a huge mess. Still, she didn’t want to lose him as a friend, she wanted him to be happy, to do all she could for him. As hard as it was on her, she knew what was best, to hide those feelings as much as possible, at least for now. 

When Rita got home, Mimi instantly greeted her along with Mikumon and Palmon. “So how did shopping go?” Mimi asked, wondering if there was possibly something more going on. “Oh it went rather well, we found him some things after some hesitating on his part.” Rita hummed, dropping her bags on her bed. “Is that so? Well what did you bring us?” Mimi grinned, Rita smiled before pulling out a bunch of different treats. “Look at them all!” Mikumon’s eyes lit up, she too looked happiest when she was eating something she loved, and she loved sweets! “Wow you bought so much! I haven’t had some of these in forever!” Mimi chimed. “Can we eat them?” Palmon questioned, ready to pounce. “Of course, help yourselves! I wanted to try a bunch of these and Izzy gave me some suggestions, he really pushed the oolong tea.” Rita smiled as she watched the Digimon and Mimi tear into the packages. “Oh that’s no surprise, he loves that stuff!” Mimi laughed. Rita felt her chest tighten, of course Mimi would know a lot about him, after all they have known each other since they were kids. Still, the feeling of jealousy was there, and it made her feel sick. These two people were precious to her, she cared for them both so much it hurt. If they were both happy then that is what mattered, Rita would keep her promise, she would help Izzy anyway she could. 

Izzy flopped down on his bed, his heart was still racing like crazy over what had happened earlier. He understood her actions, but his feelings weren’t as rational as he was. He barely knew Rita, in fact he didn’t really know anything about her, her past, her family, hobbies, only a few small details. Could he really be developing feelings for her this fast? He liked Mimi, he had known her for a long time now and was comfortable around her for the most part. However, he knew Mimi, they had been through so much together, even as different as they were she accepted him for what he was. She had qualities that he admired, confidence, honesty, the fact her mood could affect those around her. What about Rita? It felt right having her by his side, she made his heart race and yet he felt content. Was that love or friendship? He shouldn't be overthinking it so much right now. She knew he had feelings for Mimi and she already had become a good friend, he didn’t want to risk her thinking he is fickle or desperate. Still, his hand that was intertwined with hers continued to burn, it felt as hot as it did when they had made that connection. He was hopeless when it came to understanding others’ feelings or hell even his own, yet there was still a part of him that wondered if her actions meant more. Touching the cheek she had licked, his face flared red once again. She could read him easy, there was no doubt this was going to be a mess. “Izzy you have been in a daze since you have got back, I can tell something good happened!” Tentomon stated, returning Izzy to reality. “Er it’s not exactly like that, I mean it went well but I…” Izzy stammered as Tentomon shook his head. “I suppose I will just have to ask Rita next time I see her,” Tentomon added, Izzy’s face grew darker. “Don’t bother her about that, anyway let’s get something to eat!” Izzy quickly changed the subject. Tentomon knew him too well for him not to notice, something indeed did happen.


	4. Chapter 4

The following day the DigiDestined had arranged to meet up at Izzy’s office. Rita was excited to see it, after all she had heard a lot about it… still, what had happened the previous day continued to linger on her mind. She was positive as soon as she saw him that she would turn bright red, now that she was sure she was falling in love with him. Mimi would notice easily… it was going to take all of her willpower to be strong enough to hide her feelings. Mimi and Rita went back home first to grab their Digimon partners, figuring that if this was a meeting regarding them, then they should come along. The building was large and rather fancy, it was impressive enough already. Rita’s heart sped up when Mimi rang the bell. Tentomon answered saying he will let them in. It was kind of cute that Tentomon was like Izzy’s secretary. “Hello, what a fantastic place!” Mimi stated as she entered, holding Palmon in her arms. “It really is…” Rita spoke as she looked around, her grip on Mikumon tightening. “It’s Izzy’s office.” TK explained, Mimi seemed rather shocked. “I told you that before…” Rita sighed, figuring that she hadn’t listened. “It’s our first time here too!” Kari smiled. Rita looked at Izzy, his face was noticeably red. “I’m helping out a firm that my American friend started.” Izzy spoke, his finger rubbing his cheek nervously. “Awesome! I’m impressed!” Mimi smiled, not helping the fact Izzy was already embarrassed. When Rita’s eyes made contact with Izzy, he instantly looked away. Rita felt her heart ache, holding Mikumon closer to her, she too could feel Rita’s emotions. “Izzy this place really is amazing,” Rita smiled, trying to hide her unease. “T-thanks…” Izzy responded, he felt like his heart was going to explode. He had to focus, forget what happened yesterday. The reason they were here was important after all. Tai then began to explain what he heard from Mr. Nishijima, that these Digimon were known as “Infected Digimon,” and that they weren’t likely to disappear anytime soon. Tentomon stated that Izzy should show them all his new program. Everyone watched as he started to set up his devices. Tentomon shoving Biyomon and Agumon towards one of the screens, before suddenly pushing them through into a digital realm. Everyone was stunned, one second they were there and then the next they had disappeared. “Don’t worry, they’re there!” Tentomon reassured as he pointed the remote control at the TV. All of a sudden Biyomon and Agumon were on the large TV screen. “I created a virtual cyberspace within the server here. It’s an evacuation strategy for the Digimon in a case of emergency.” Izzy explained as he started typing on his computer. Rita was amazed, in reality she shouldn't be surprised, but still… Izzy took her breath away, and that painful feeling in her chest only kept growing. Tai and Sora’s phones went off suddenly. “A text from Biyomon?” Sora spoke, looking confused. “Uh, how do I read these things again?” Tai questioned. Kari chuckled to herself as she helped her brother open the message. “We can communicate with them by text or through the monitor.” Izzy concluded, Mimi then moved towards him, looking down at his computer screen. “That’s really useful!” She smiled, bringing her face towards Izzy’s bright red one. Rita took a seat as Mikumon looked up at her with a worried expression. That distance was still there, not only that… even if she said she would support Izzy and his feelings, she didn’t realize how much it would hurt… seeing them together like that. “Rita are you okay?” Mikumon questioned, her paw gently touching Rita’s face, returning her to reality. “Ah yes, sorry Mikumon, everything is fine!” Rita smiled, stroking Mikumon’s fur. Mikumon wasn’t convinced, but right now was not the time to press any further. Rita looked back up to see the Digimon jumping in and out of the screens. “Want to try?” Rita smiled at her partner. “I do!” Mikumon’s eyes lit up as she ran towards one of the screens, almost like a kid at a playground. It seemed like Izzy’s idea would keep them safe, Rita was relieved, the thought of Mikumon getting infected… she didn’t even want to think about it. 

Looking at the time; the others had to go, Rita on the other hand wanted to talk to Izzy a little more. Soon it was just the two of them and the Digimon, watching like an audience. “S-so was there anything you wanted to know?” Izzy asked nervously, it was now just the two of them and they hadn’t spoken since they awkwardly parted ways last night. “Er, well I dunno, you did explain a lot to me before about how things worked. I have to say, this really is amazing… computers don’t really make much sense to me, I’m terrible with coding… so what you can do… it’s just so… amazing.” Rita spoke, trying to think of another word to use. Izzy’s face flushed again, looking back at his screen. “I-it’s not really, if you understood codes it’s not that hard…” He reasoned, glancing at Rita from the corner of his eye. Rita just sighed as she got up and walked over to him. “You’re doing it again…” “D-doing what?” Izzy blushed even more when Rita’s face was looking down at him. “Being modest, selling yourself short… for crying out loud you are only a first year high school student and you have this super fancy high tech office? You can be so frustrating sometimes…” Rita was speaking the truth, he did frustrate her, however that wasn’t his fault… if she didn't have these feelings for him, would she be feeling this agitated? “Sorry…” Izzy spoke softly, his stomach tightening. “N-no, I’m sorry… just forget that… I only want you to see yourself the way I see you is all…” Rita blushed when Izzy’s surprised eyes met hers. “W-what I mean is…” Rita fumbled, trying to find the right words to say, when Izzy just smiled. “Thanks… I really mean it…” His smile was so pure and serene; Rita was holding back every urge to make some sort of contact with him. “Not to ruin the mood or anything, but if you are able to stay longer should I get some more snacks?” Tentomon asked. “Ah right, don’t you have plans like the others?” Izzy questioned. “Not really… I was just going to practice a new song I wrote…” Rita suddenly covered her mouth. She didn’t mean to admit that out loud. “You write music?” Izzy was surprised, he didn’t know much about Rita, but this was an interesting reveal. “I umm…” Rita blushed, fidgeting with her fingers. “Rita is really talented! She can sing and play the guitar, her voice is super pretty!” Mikumon boasted. “Ah, I want to hear!” Biyomon’s voice bellowed from the screen. “Me too!” Agumon agreed. “Can you play something?” Tentomon asked. “B-but I don’t have my guitar with me… and this is an office… I shouldn’t put on a performance here!” Rita was completely flustered, looking every which way. “I would really like to hear you sometime… if that’s okay?” Izzy blushed, he knew Mimi was a great singer, but he was sure that Rita’s voice would be really sweet and gentle. Rita nodded as she covered her cheeks. “I…I’ll bring it to school tomorrow then…” Rita replied. “I’m looking forward to it.” Izzy smiled back, Rita really was adorable… 

Izzy felt rather nervous having Rita watch him as he worked. He couldn't grasp why she was fascinated by what he was doing, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. “Do you want a refill on your drink?” Tentomon asked. “Don’t worry I can get it myself. I appreciate your hospitality but you should take it easy and play with the other Digimon.” Rita smiled. Tentomon was really fond of Rita, she was kind, gentle, beautiful, and really seemed fond of Izzy. Even if Izzy hadn’t picked up on it yet, Tentomon was almost positive at this point that there was something romantic going on between the two. Even if Izzy liked Mimi, who of course Tentomon was also fond of, he believed Rita to be a much better match for his computer obsessed partner. If only Izzy would pick up on this already… “It’s no trouble at all, as long as I can be of help to Izzy, that’s what is important to me.” Tentomon replied. “You are so sweet; Izzy is lucky to have such a wonderful partner.” Rita’s warm smile was so uplifting. Her hand was gentle as she patted his head. “I think I would like to spend some time with Mikumon if that is okay? Please keep an eye on Izzy and make sure he takes breaks from work.” Tentomon requested, he wanted to use this time to confirm his suspicions. Mikumon must know something after all. “Will do!” Rita replied. Tentomon pulled Mikumon into the server with him, hushing the Digimon so they could talk without Izzy and Rita hearing them. 

“What is it Tentomon?” Mikumon questioned as Tentomon had the Digimon gathered. “I wanted to ask you something about Rita, if that is okay?” Tentomon proposed, hoping that he wasn’t prying too much. “Sure what is it?” Mikumon asked, tilting her head to the side. “Hmm, how should I put this… do you get the feeling that there is something going on between Izzy and Rita, something more than just friendship?” He asked, Mikumon’s eyes widened. “Well I don’t know how Rita would feel about me saying this… but I know she cares a great deal for Izzy… after last night, whenever his name comes up she either looks sad or embarrassed.” Mikumon admitted, pondering to what Tentomon was getting at. “I see… Izzy was the same after last night, he got rather flustered when I asked how their outing went.” Tentomon added. “Do you think it’s love?” Biyomon jumped in, her eyes sparkling. “You mean Rita loves Izzy?” Palmon seemed rather surprised. “I believe so… I don’t think Izzy has realized this though, but he for sure has an attraction to her.” Tentomon reasoned. “That’s so cute!” Biyomon blushed. “I think Tentomon is right about Rita… still, she looked pained, I don’t know what is going on but I will find out. For now, please don’t say anything to Izzy, okay Tentomon? You too Palmon, keep this from Mimi!” Mikumon looked rather serious, it was surprising to the other Digimon. “I understand.” Tentomon responded. “But why? Mimi would love to know that?” Palmon didn’t seem to grasp the concept. “Just think about it, Mimi might say something before Rita is ready to admit it.” Biyomon concluded. “Agumon, don’t tell Tai either okay?” Biyomon added. “Tell Tai what?” He questioned. “I think we are okay there…” Tentomon sighed. “For now I want to just watch over her. I’m sure Rita will talk to me when she feels ready!” Mikumon informed. “I will see what I can get out of Izzy without giving away anything, rest assured!” Tentomon spoke with confidence. He would be careful about this, after all he wanted things to work out for the two of them. Watching them together, it just felt right, having Rita by Izzy’s side. 

The group had arranged to meet up on the Saturday, in the meantime, Rita was nervous about bringing her guitar to school the next day. People seemed to notice it, after all it was a large and obvious object she was carrying around. “Did you decide to start practicing at school or something?” Mimi questioned, she was a little surprised that Rita had brought it to school, since she hadn’t joined any music clubs. “Ah well sorta… Mikumon kinda blurted out yesterday about me working on a new song… the conversation ended with me promising Izzy to play it for him… I’m so nervous!” Rita admitted as she covered her cheeks. “Ah, you are so cute!” Mimi squealed as she pulled Rita into her arms. “Don’t be nervous, it’s only Izzy you are playing for. It’s good practice right? I told you before that you are amazing and should be playing in front of people more! You should play something for Matt, since he has his band and preforms often, he could give you some great tips, right?” Mimi reasoned. “That is true…” Rita responded. Little did Mimi know that Rita was way more nervous about preforming in front of Izzy than anyone else. There was still a little part of her that was excited though… for some reason she wanted him to hear her sing and play, even if she couldn't tell him how she felt, she would still be able to share a special part of herself with him. It may seem kind of dumb to others, but sometimes there are subtle feelings you can express with music that words just can’t cover. “Are you going to meet up at lunch?” Mimi asked as the two put away their things and headed towards the classroom. “Yeah I think so, Izzy said he would make time for me.” Rita smiled back. “That’s so cute! The two of you sure are becoming close!” Mimi winked. “I-it’s not like that!” Rita flushed. “Then why are you so red?” Mimi teased. “Stop teasing me!” Rita cried out, just making Mimi laugh. “Is everything okay?” Izzy asked as the two entered the classroom. Rita only blushed more which caused Mimi to laugh only louder. Izzy just looked confused, clearly he was out of the loop on this one. 

When it was time for lunch Rita made her way over to Izzy’s desk. “I umm… I brought my guitar today…” Rita spoke nervously, Izzy watched in amusement as she fiddled with her fingers. It was a really cute habit of hers. “I’d love to hear you; do you want to go up on the roof?” Izzy asked. Rita’s eyes lit up instantly. “I’ll go get my guitar and meet you there!” Rita sang as she happily rushed out the door. Izzy’s attention was drawn to Mimi who was chuckling to herself. “What is so funny?” Izzy questioned. “Oh nothing, Rita just has been especially cute lately, don’t you think?” Mimi winked, Izzy’s face turned dark red. “W-why would you be asking me? You know her better… it’s not like I would be able to tell if she was acting different…” Izzy concluded. Mimi just smiled, “true, but something tells me that it won’t be long before you know her better than me…” Izzy was not only puzzled by Mimi’s statement, but noticed she also looked a little sad. “You really love your cousin, don't you?” Izzy was struck by Mimi’s pure and beautiful smile. At times like this he could really see that they were related. “I do, there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for her. I just hope that she knows that…” Mimi spoke as she gathered her books. “She does… and she feels the same, I know that much.” Izzy responded. Mimi just chuckled again. “See, what did I tell you?” She smiled before heading to the door. “Better hurry, it’s not nice to make a girl wait!” Mimi teased as she spun out of the room. Izzy just felt even more confused. He understood extremely complicated computer programing, but he couldn’t in the slightest grasp what girls were thinking. Izzy gathered his belongings before making his way to the roof. The sky was bright and clear, a truly beautiful day. His eyes instantly located Rita, she was glowing under the sun. Holding her acoustic guitar in her arms, birds flew by as the wind gently made her hair flutter. The sight of her was overwhelming, to him… she looked like and angel. “Izzy!” Her eyes lit up at the sight of him, making his heart dance. “Sorry I kept you waiting,” he apologized, making his way towards the bench she was sitting on. “No don't be, thank you for taking the time to hear me play.” She blushed softly. “No I’m really happy to listen, we’re friends right?” Izzy hesitated a little in his question… they were friends, weren’t they?” “Of course! I’m still a bit nervous though… besides Mimi, her parents and my parents, and Mikumon of course… I haven’t played for anyone…” Rita hugged her guitar, taking a deep breath. “I’m honored then.” Izzy smiled back, his gentle features were reassuring to Rita. “You wrote this song yourself right?” Izzy asked. “Yes… I wanted to try writing some music in Japanese, since I am living here now… I hope it’s okay.” Rita squeezed her guitar even tighter. “I-It’s called Country Night… I guess that sounds kinda silly…” Rita blushed. “Not at all! Please play it.” Izzy smiled, Rita gathered her confidence as she nodded. Getting her guitar into the right position, she took a deep breath before starting the first cord. 

A gentle melody, one that was light and beautiful was only matched with a kind yet powerful voice. Izzy was left stunned, what he thought would be gentle and sweet was in fact strong and dazzling. In his life he had never felt so captivated by a melody. Captivated to the point that it moved his heart. His body felt as though it was floating. She was shining, glowing in the sun as her voice lit up the sky. Radiant was the only word he could think of to match what he was hearing and seeing. Yet it couldn’t live up to what he was actually feeling. His heart was racing fast, and yet he felt peaceful and relaxed. It almost didn’t seem possible. The way she looked at him when she finished, it was a look that could make any man fall in love. 

Rita waited nervously for Izzy to say something, hiding slightly behind her guitar. “You’re amazing…” Izzy managed to voice. Rita’s face turned dark red as she completely hid her face. “T-that's too much praise!” “Now you get how I feel when you say that to me!” Izzy argued back. The two faced each other, a gentle smile matching the other before laughter erupted. “But really, you have such a wonderful voice… I’ve never heard anything like it.” Izzy smiled, Rita couldn’t believe how happy his words made her feel. The fluttering sensation in her stomach was even overpowering her racing heart. “T-thanks…” “The song was really beautiful, it was so gentle, yet I was blown away by the power of your voice. It was really moving…” Izzy was also blushing. Trying to find the right words to say, yet they still fell short of what he was feeling. “T-thanks… I- I’m so happy…” Rita felt like she was flying, right now looking at his face would be more blinding then looking up at the sun. “You should really preform for people, maybe talk to Matt since he knows a lot about that.” Izzy reasoned. “Mimi said the same thing… still, I think I am a bit too shy for that. Maybe someday I will be strong enough though.” Rita smiled, gently playing with her hair. “You are strong enough! I don’t understand how you can tell me to be more confident when you doubt yourself…” Izzy observed. “I guess I’m a hypocrite… ahhh that was one thing I promised myself I would never be… okay then! I will go talk to Matt, then you have to listen to me right?” Rita grinned, stretching her arms out. “Yeah, I will.” Izzy smiled back. For some reason when she was around, he felt so much stronger, like he could do anything. That is… except for tell her that.


	5. Chapter 5

Saturday had come and the group had met up outside DECKS. Rita was pleased to see Izzy was wearing some of the new clothing they had bought together, however… he clearly didn’t sleep the night before and looked completely worn out. “You didn’t sleep at all last night?” Kari questioned with concern. “That isn’t good Izzy!” Sora added in a motherly tone. “I got about three hours sleep, but I finally finished making them. Try them on Tai.” Izzy spoke as he held out a pair of goggles. “Okay…” Tai responded as he took the goggles and placed them over his eyes. “Theoretically, you should be able to see the distortions in space.” Izzy explained. “Eh?” Mimi seemed shocked, her sudden close proximity made Izzy’s heart jump. “That really is so cool…” Rita fawned, making Izzy’s cheeks brighten even more. “Hey Tai, we’ll head back to the cyberspace that Izzy made.” Agumon spoke as he prodded at Tai’s pants leg. “Your computer is their gateway right?” TK asked. “Any monitor connected to the internet will work.” Izzy answered, typing away on his laptop. He looked around, seeing a phone booth. “That will do.” The Digimon jumped into the screen, relieved that if there was trouble they could come back easily. “So what should we do now?” Mimi asked. “According to my research, the distortions seem to occur where mass data concentrates. With those goggles we should be able to see the data flow. Colours mark the difference in data format and strength. For example, when I connect to my server…” Izzy continued to speak as he made some adjustments on his laptop. “Yeah, the light is getting stronger.” Tai replied, being able to see them through the goggles. “The red spots are the concentrations related to the distortions. It’s highly possible that infected Digimon will appear from large distorted areas.” Izzy explained. “Oh I see,” Kari responded. “Let’s check for distortions in this area to see in advance whether there are any dangerous spots here.” Izzy suggested. “Good idea, it will save time rushing around to find them later when trouble is already happening.” Rita smiled, Izzy felt his heart race once again. 

“Huh?” Everyone’s attention was caught at the sight of a familiar girl who was looking around. “Is something wrong?” Sora questioned, catching Meiko’s attention, bowing in response. “Did something happen?” Sora asked sweetly as she approached her classmate. Meiko looked troubled. “W-well you see… I was looking for something but then got lost.” She answered. “Shall we show you around?” Sora smiled, Mimi approaching as well. “Uh but…” She responded shyly. “It’s okay, we’re also searching for something!” Sora spoke as she took Meiko’s hand. “That’s right!” Mimi added, also pulling the shy girl along. “Come on, you guys come as well!” Sora called back to the others. The guys all looking rather surprised. “Let’s help her! Izzy are you sure you are going to be up for walking around?” Rita asked with concern. He really looked like he needed to get some sleep. “Don’t worry I do this a lot; I’m rather used to it.” He smiled. “Right…” Rita sighed, she was growing more and more concerned for the boy. Walking around, Rita kept a close eye on Izzy while Mimi and Sora stayed close to Meiko. She was apparently searching for some sort of cat. Every now and then Tai would put his goggles on to check for distortions. Eventually the group ended up at the beach where they parted ways with Meiko who decided to continue looking on her own. Tai then pointed out that wearing the goggles he still couldn’t see very far. Concluding they would need to find a place high up to search. Deciding that the Ferris wheel was the perfect choice, the group then ran into Matt and Gabumon. It seemed like Gabumon had dragged Matt out, him and Tai were still having some troubles after all. Getting on the Ferris wheel, the girls planned to force Tai and Matt into a cart alone so they could talk things out. Rita found it rather amusing, even if the others were rather bunched together in a different cart. Mimi had fun taking photos of the two boys trapped together, while Rita tried to hide how nervous she was from the height. “Are you okay Rita?” TK asked, being rather observant. “Oh right, Rita doesn’t like high places…” Mimi remembered, a little late. “Are you okay?” Sora asked. “I-I’ll be fine, it’s just best I don’t look outside.” Rita spoke, her eyes fixed on the floor. “Here Izzy you should comfort her!” Mimi stated, shoving Rita towards Izzy. “M-Mimi!” Rita cried out as she was forced up against Izzy’s chest. Both their faces were red, the physical contact was a strong reminder of the night they went out shopping together. “Mimi don’t tease Rita; she is already uncomfortable…” Sora lectured. “Awe, it was funny though!” Mimi laughed. “S-sorry…” Rita spoke as she pulled back off of Izzy. “N-no it’s okay… if you’re scared then just close your eyes, we will be off soon enough.” Izzy blushed, trying to move things along. “T-thanks…” Rita spoke; she still was unable to stop her heart from racing. It wasn’t long after that the conversation switched to the weather. For some reason the clouds above them were swirling. When they got off the group waited for Tai and Matt, however they ended up running past them. “I saw the distortion over there!” Tai called out as he continued to run. The sky only drew darker as everyone ran towards Pallet Town. Announcements were being made for people to evacuate, however the DigiDestined of course ignored the order, heading closer and closer towards the distortion. The group came to a stop when the clouds started to warp even more, rain too started to fall. Rushing even more, they knew they had to hurry before something bad happened. Of course… it was too late. A giant Digimon had appeared out of the distortion in the middle of Pallet Town. People were crying out as they ran away from the large caped monster. “What is that?” Kari asked. “I’ve never seen it before…” TK’s voice shook. Izzy quickly opened his laptop, typing in some code. “Got it, that’s Alphamon.” Izzy responded. “Alphamon?” TK questioned. “Sorry, that’s all the information I have.” Izzy replied, clearly shaken. “We have to do something…” TK proclaimed. “Izzy summon Palmon and the others!” Mimi ordered. “Right away!” Izzy replied, typing in more coding. Tai and Matt however, suddenly ran in before anyone could say or do anything. 

The Digimon came out quickly, ready for action. “Mikumon, please Digivolve… we need to stop that thing.” Rita spoke, her face unable to hide her fears. “I understand!” Mikumon nodded, all of the Digimon getting ready to go into their Champion forms. Izzy took notice on Mikumon’s Champion form. She looked like a snow fairy, the leaf tails that Mikumon had were turned into wings. “Go Tsukimon, please be careful!” Rita cried out. When she turned to face Izzy she looked scared, unlike them, she had never been in a situation like this before. They stood outside the entrance, looking up at the heated attacks reaching the sky. The Champion Digimon were being sent flying into the surrounding attractions. “This Digimon… it has to be at Mega level… there is no way our Digimon can handle this at their current level!” Rita noted, clutching her chest. “We need Omnimon…” Izzy muttered. There were explosions going off everywhere, and Tai and Matt were in the middle of it. “I have to go help.” Rita insisted as she started to run forward, her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Izzy. “Don’t be stupid, you will get hurt if you get any closer. Leave it to Tai and Matt!” Izzy ordered, his eyes showing how serious he was. Rita relaxed her arm, she didn’t like staying back, but she trusted Izzy’s judgement. Suddenly another large Digimon appeared, by the smiles on the other’s faces, Rita had to assume that it was Omnimon. The two large Digimon took flight, fighting in the sky, they then landed in a large open space. It appeared that Omnimon was trying to lure Alphamon away from the buildings. However, they weren’t without damage, the Ferris wheel was even knocked over. Rita was frozen, she had never seen destruction like this before. The others though… they had clearly been through much worse. 

It ended rather abruptly, Alphamon managed to escape into another distortion. The damage to the area was severe for the short amount of time the battle lasted, it was hard to believe how much destruction was caused. The group ran to Tai and Matt who were sitting on the ground looking exhausted. Their partner Digimon had returned to their In-training forms as well. Everyone then turned in shock when Meiko walked up, holding a fluffy cat like Digimon in her arms. “Is that what you were looking for?” Sora asked. “Yes, my friend…” Meiko smiled. “Is her name Mei?” Kari asked, leaning in to get a better look. “Her real name is Meicoomon” Meiko responded. “Meicoomon?” Izzy questioned. Meiko then pulled out a Digivice from her pocket. “Mei’s my partner Digimon.” Meiko revealed, shocking everyone. “So you’re a DigiDestined too then?” Mimi asked. “Ah, yes…” Meiko blushed. “Ah, that’s so great!” Mimi cheered. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before,” she apologized. “We keep growing in numbers,” TK smiled. “It’s wonderful!” Kari too smiled. Rita also found herself smiling, not just because they had found another DigiDestined, but suddenly she wasn’t the only one who wasn’t one of the original team. Holding Mikumon close to her, she nuzzled into her fur. “Is everything okay Rita?” Mikumon asked, looking up at Rita with worried eyes. “I’m just glad you are safe…” Rita smiled, finally feeling like she could breathe. Still… this wasn’t the end, it was only the beginning… if she couldn’t protect Mikumon and those she cared for, then what would she do?

It had been about a week since then. Construction had started almost immediately, however, there was still a ton of work to be done. The group had decided to have a little welcome party of sorts for Meiko. Since she was really shy, everyone agreed that this would likely be the easiest way to get her to grow more comfortable around all of them. Even though it was called a “party” the group had decided to go to Oedo Onsen Monogatari, a local hot spring/spa. The place was known to be like a summer festival on the inside. Rita was really excited since she had always wanted to try going to a place like that, something very Japanese! Mimi and Rita had first stopped at Tai and Kari’s place to pick them up, since according to Mimi, “Tai will take forever if we don't go and drag him ourselves!” In the end she was sort of right since they had shown up last, to which Mimi was extremely displeased. Rita wondered how things would go with them bringing their Digimon along. Mimi had told her before that they used to pretend to be stuffed animals. Still… a bunch of high school students with stuffed toys would also stand out. Rita took a look at Izzy and tried her hardest not to laugh. Even with all of the fashion advice she had given him, he still showed up in overalls. Izzy looked a little confused to why Rita was unable to make eye contact with him, wondering if he had done something. Rita was sad that Joe couldn't make it due to studying, however Gomamon decided to join them, which made her feel better. With an almost unanimous decision, the Digimon would walk with them instead of going into Izzy’s computer. Rita wondered if it was possible for the Digimon to keep quiet and stay out of trouble. In reality Mikumon was one of the more mature Digimon, and yet she still could get into trouble by acting childish and naïve. 

Rita’s eyes lit up at the entrance, the place looked amazing already. Inside they were given barcodes in the forms of bracelets to which would be scanned for any type of purchase made, to be paid after. It was extremely convenient, only Japan would think of something like this. They then had to choose which colour and style yukata and obi they were to wear. Rita decided on a white and blue one since none of the other girls chose it, that and it was rather pretty. She turned to watch Izzy who seemed to be having a hard time deciding. Mimi made a choice which Izzy instantly jumped on. “Typical…” Rita muttered to herself. “Huh?” Izzy turned to her, making Rita blush. “Oh… it’s nothing… I umm think the navy one would look good on you… just saying…” Rita admitted before following after Mimi. The girls fooled around in the change room for a bit. Sora had offered to help Rita tie her obi since this was her first time doing so. “It looks really cute on you.” Sora smiled, making Rita blush. “T-thanks,” “I know right? I’ve always been so jealous of Rita’s curves!” Mimi added, making Rita’s face darken even more. “But Mimi you are so pretty and slender!” Rita argued back. “Yeah but you are super pretty too!” Mimi winked. “Everyone here is pretty.” Gomamon stated. “Awe, you are so sweet.” Kari smiled, patting his head. “We should go in, I’m sure the guys have already finished changing.” Sora informed. 

The inside really was like a summer festival. There were shops with food everywhere and tons of games and activities. Once the guys came out the group decided to first go outside to the foot bath. Rita watched in amusement as the Digimon were using it like a kiddy practice pool. Oddly enough Mr. Nishijima and the woman who drove Mimi and Rita to Haneda were also there. According to Mr. Nishijima the woman known as Himekawa was apparently his ex. Rita just looked up at the bright sky, soaking her feet was really relaxing. For today she should just take things easy, not worry about her feelings or what was going on with the Digimon. Just have fun. “Rita are you okay?” Mikumon asked as she swam up, glomming onto Rita’s legs. “Of course, are you having fun swimming?” Rita smiled, even though they technically shouldn't be using the foot bath as a pool. “Yes! I can’t wait to swim with you Rita!” Mikumon’s eyes sparkled with the innocence of a child. “The baths aren’t for swimming though…” Rita smiled, rubbing Mikumon’s cheek. “How are you enjoying it so far?” Rita turned her head to see Izzy standing above her. Instantly she blushed, trying to not focus on how well he suited that yukata. “It’s really nice out here, Japan is such a wonderful place.” Rita smiled, making Izzy smile in return. Suddenly Tentomon landed on Rita’s head. “That yukata looks really wonderful on you.” He spoke, Rita just chuckled. “Thanks Tentomon, you are too sweet.” Izzy had to agree with his partner, Rita really did look beautiful. “Hey guys let’s go in and get something to eat!” Mimi called out. Izzy looked down at Rita once again. “Shall we then?” He asked. “Sure, I just have to get up. Mikumon I kinda need you to get off of my legs.” Rita sighed, looking at her partner who was sulking. “But I’m having fun!” Mikumon whined. “Don’t you want some yummy treats though? You saw all of those crêpes and ice cream right?” Rita spoke convincingly, knowing her partner’s weakness. “Let’s go!” Mikumon cheered as she leapt out of the water. “So predictable…” Rita sighed again as she tried to stand, only forgetting the sharp rocks in the water. Tripping she yelped when suddenly arms were around her. Not only that but the fabric around her neck was being pulled upright. Izzy looked down at her with worry as he and Tentomon helped her out of the pool. “Are you okay?” He asked, taking a deep breath of relief that the two had caught her in time. “Y-yes, thanks… thank you too Tentomon, I need to be more careful…” Rita bowed. “No worries, as long as you aren’t hurt.” Tentomon responded. “Are you okay Rita?” Mikumon asked with sad eyes. After all her partner almost was hurt and she wasn’t the one who saved her. “Awe sweetie don’t look so sad, I’m okay… come here.” Rita opened her arms for Mikumon to jump into. “Let’s go get you a treat!” Rita sang, her eyes looking back at Izzy. He had rather fast reflexes… not only that, but he seemed more manly up close. 

After getting some food, the group sat down to eat. The boys were discussing what Mr. Nishijima’s job was and how exactly him and Himekawa were connected to the Digimon. The girls seemed to have more and more questions for Meiko, she did have a past with Himekawa after all. Rita listened as she watched Mikumon sleeping in her lap, it was days like this that she had to treasure. Being able to spend every day with Mikumon and Mimi like this was more then she could have asked for. Soon after, they decided to play some games. Rita watched in amazement at how skilled Mimi was at these sorts of things. Rita seemed to fail at everything she tried. “Don’t feel so bad…” Tai tried to reassure her. “Yeah, it’s not like you grew up playing these like we did.” Izzy added. “She is good at darts and bowling though!” Mimi pointed out. “Oh, do they have a lot of them in America?” Kari questioned. “Er sorta, they aren’t all connected in one venue like here though. I’m only okay at darts since at fairs at home, popping balloons was a way to win prizes as a kid.” Rita explained. “I’d be good at that!” Mikumon jumped up. “Yes but I don't think they would count it if you used your leaf storm attack.” Rita grinned, picking up her friend. “Let’s go have a bath now, I wanna have some girl bonding!” Mimi demanded. “R-right…” Rita blushed. “Why do you seem nervous?” Tai asked. “I haven’t bathed with people since I was a little kid… it’s not a normal thing for me.” Rita blushed. “I see; I suppose it wouldn’t be over there…” Izzy pondered. “But girls grow closer with skin-ship!” Mimi smiled, hugging Rita from behind. “Y-yeah…” Rita muttered, covering her chest. “I think she doesn’t want you to fondle her Mimi…” Kari smiled awkwardly. “But she has such big and squishy,” Mimi was cut off when Rita covered her mouth, dragging her towards the bath. Leaving Izzy and Tai bright red. “We will see you guys later then.” Sora waved, her and Kari following after. “Do girls really do that?” Izzy asked, turning to Tai who just rubbed the back of his head. “Girls are crazy sometimes…” he responded, wondering the same thing himself. 

The bath felt amazing, Rita couldn’t think of a better word to describe it. Mimi of course didn’t hold back and felt up Rita’s chest like she knew she would. “Mimi!” Rita cried out. “Seriously these suckers are big!” Mimi cried out. “Don’t forget the Digimon are all in here!” Rita yelled back. It was true, since there weren’t any other woman in the bath today besides them, they had taken all of the Digimon in with them, including the partners of the male members. Rita stretched out with a large sigh of relief when Mimi moved on to Sora. “Does Rita feel good?” Mikumon smiled, swimming up to Rita. “Yes, this really does hit the spot, though I can’t stay in too long.” Rita admitted. “Why is that?” Gatomon questioned. “Rita doesn’t do well with the heat.” Mikumon answered for her partner. “There is a cool bath over there if you need it.” Kari smiled as she pointed to one of the other baths. “Oh, Japan really does think of everything.” Rita smiled, very impressed. The girls then moved to the outside baths, which Rita enjoyed even more. The cool air was really refreshing and helped her keep her body temperature from getting too hot. “Meiko never did come out…” Kari pointed out. “I wonder if she got lost…” Sora added, Rita wondered if she felt out of place, like she had. Suddenly Meiko came running their way, still dressed in her yukata. “Guys! Mei and Biyomon… they disappeared!” Meiko’s voice was full of panic. The girls all jumped up, if they had disappeared then something bad could easily happen. The girls quickly changed, searching the girls dressing room for any sign of the two. Even back out in the hall there was no sight. Mimi opened the door to the guy’s dressing room, calling out. Rita tried to pull her back, sometimes she could get out of control like this. Without any leads, Meiko was clearly worried. “Meicoomon is with Biyomon, so don't worry.” Sora tried to reassure. “I thought they would put on a show, whoever thought of animal suits in a bath?” A man spoke as he exited the guys dressing room. “I’ll go look!” Gomamon spoke. “Wait, not on your own.” Sora bent down to stop him. “We’ll just have to barge in!” Mimi concluded. “You can’t be serious?” Rita shot back. “Don’t worry, leave it to me!” Mimi yelled as she charged in. “Mimi!” Rita cried out. The others followed after, Rita shook her head and slapped her face a few times before decided to go after them as well. Since she was a foreigner, if they got in trouble the blame could be put on her without a harsh punishment. For some reason Mimi decided to sing, giving the other girls an opening to search around. Unfortunately, the only place left to search was the men’s bath. “Can’t we just leave it to the guys? I mean if they are in there then they should be able to handle it right?” Rita pleaded, not wanting to go in. However, her words were ignored as the others charged in. “I’m not doing this!” Rita blushed, cowering in a corner. “Come on Rita let’s go!” Mikumon sang as she raced after the others. “Mikumon I told you to stay back in the girl’s changing room!” Rita cried out, however her partner snuck in just before the door closed. “Ah damn it!” Rita cried as she too then had to charge in. 

Izzy’s eyes widened as Sora, Kari and Meiko ran past him. Not having a clue what was going on he quickly covered his waist with the small bath towel. “Oh Izzy, have you seen Meicoomon and Biyomon?” Mikumon asked, walking up to him. “Wait what? What on earth is going on here? Why are you girls in the guys’ bath?” Izzy cried out. “Oh they disappeared so Mimi came up with a search and rescue plan.” Mikumon explained. “Of course it was Mimi…” Izzy sighed. “Mikumon where are you?” Rita cried out. Izzy felt his whole body flush, Rita was in here too? “I’m over here!” Mikumon called out, Rita ran towards her partner’s voice, suddenly stopping in her tracks when her eyes fell on Izzy’s almost completely naked body. “Ah, I’m sorry!” Rita cried out, covering her eyes. Izzy quickly hid his body behind the bathing wall. “Seriously, what are you guys thinking?” Izzy groaned, completely frazzled. “I told them it was a bad idea and to leave it to you guys… but then Mikumon ran in and I…” Rita tried to explain as she continued to cover her eyes. “You should probably leave…” Izzy’s face remained bright red. “Isn’t it more fun if we all bathe together?” Mikumon proposed. “It doesn’t work like that here!” Rita yelled back. “S-sorry…” Mikumon cowered behind Rita, knowing well that she was not happy. “I’m so sorry Izzy, I’ll get out… Mikumon hide yourself…” Rita bowed, absolutely mortified. Mikumon reached out for Rita’s obi, thinking it would be perfect to wrap herself in… however, in doing so unwrapped it, causing Rita’s yukata to fall open, revealing her underwear to and even brighter red faced Izzy. Both their faces were flushed to the max as Rita quickly covered herself up, her eyes glaring daggers at Mikumon who just ran back to the changing room, Rita chasing after. Izzy dropped back down to his seat, covering his still red face. I guess in this sense; they were even… Magically they were somehow not banned from the venue. Leaving, the group made their way to the bus. Both Rita and Izzy were unable to look at the other without turning bright red. Mimi pointed this out to Rita, however was met with a long lecture on how ridiculous her plan was. Still, somehow it managed to blow over fast and the group was back to normal. Everyone watched as their Digimon slept. Even though they could be troublesome at times, things were still much more fun when they were around.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been some time since the last distortion and school was proceeding on like normal. Mimi had jumped at the chance to be the class representative for the planning committee. The cultural festival was coming up soon and Rita was really looking forward to it. “Why are you so excited for the cultural festival?” Izzy asked as he and Rita made their way to the roof. “Because this is a first for me! I have always seen and heard about how fun they can be, and how the students get involved. We don’t do anything like that back home…” Rita reasoned. “What kinds of things do you do?” Izzy questioned, figuring this would be a good chance to learn about schools in America. “Ah well… in elementary school they have sports days which really are more like games then sports. We wear Halloween costumes to school even through high school. There are school dances, the older you get the bigger deal they are I think. Prom is the huge event in high school that everyone seems to look forward to.” Rita explained. “Dances… what kind of dancing? We have our bon fire folk dance, is it something like that?” Izzy asked, Rita just started laughing. “W-what?” Izzy blushed, wondering what was so weird about his question. “No it’s nothing like that… how do I put it, there is either a DJ or a live band and everyone dresses up all formal and fancy. They play upbeat dance music as well as slow songs for couples to dance more intimately. Although based on the last one I went to, it’s more like a giant pit of hormones… a little uncomfortable in my opinion.” Rita blushed slightly as she took a seat. “W-what do you mean by that?” Izzy felt like this might be an embarrassing topic, but he really was curious. “Mostly people making out and grinding on each other…” Rita sighed. “T-that’s allowed?” Izzy’s eyes widened fully. “Not really, but the teachers and staff can only do so much. Anyway, you can see why I am excited for this!” Rita smiled back. “Why didn’t you join Mimi on the committee then?” Izzy asked, believing she would be a good candidate. “It’s not really like me to be outgoing and suggest things to others. Besides, I have never been to one before so how much help could I be?” Rita responded. “I suppose you do have a point,” Izzy replied. “I may be half Japanese but honestly I am a complete foreigner, I will help Mimi with whatever she needs from me though.” Rita grinned, her smile as warm as the sun rays that fell upon the two.

“I’m surprised you agreed to come up here with me again,” Rita pointed out. “Why is that?” Izzy questioned. “You just seem like the type who spends his breaks in a computer room versus being outside in the sun.” Rita reasoned. “Well truthfully that does sound more like me, but it is a nice day out and I really should socialize a bit more when I am at school.” Izzy smiled back, making Rita’s heart race. “True, I really do love school here, even if the work is harder… this place feels more real, I guess that doesn’t make much sense…” Rita chuckled to herself. “Don’t you miss your friends?” Izzy wondered, she must have a bunch that she grew up with. “Yeah I do, but this is a huge chapter in my life. I think they understand, although I also think they believe I will return for my final year back home.” Rita pondered, realizing that is likely the case. “You won’t?” Izzy was a little surprised, however he felt happy from the bottom of his heart. “I don’t know; it depends on how things go. Right now I am happy here, I have important people to me here. Normally I like having a plan, but in reality so much could happen in the future that it would be illogical to make a decision now.” Rita was indeed right, Izzy understood her reasons. Even if she was someone who could act on emotion, she still had that side to her that was logical. “Well I think you should make the most of it, have fun with the festival, maybe even preform?” Izzy smiled, Rita’s face turned instantly red. “P-preform? In front of the school? No way am I ready for that… I will just help Mimi with whatever she needs!” Rita flailed, even thinking of that made her heart race faster. “It is Mimi after all… she will likely suggest something drastic.” Izzy concluded. “True… well anyway, today I want to hear more about your time in the Digital World, okay?” Rita’s large round eyes and sweet smile made it impossible for Izzy to refuse, not that he had a problem with it. She always seemed to enjoy his stories, even just enjoyed his company in general. Being with her felt so natural, almost like he had known her forever. 

Rita had gotten a text from Mimi, insisting she return to class so she could tell her all about the meaning. Izzy slowly made his way back to class as well, when he was suddenly called out to. He was surprised when turning his head to see the star of the archery club. Izzy knew him to be extremely popular with the girls, hearing their chats every now and then. What he didn’t understand was what this 2nd year wanted with him. “Your name is Izumi right?” The boy Izzy knew to be named Kuga asked. “Uh yes, can I help you with something?” Izzy responded, feeling nervous. “You seem to be close with that new transfer student, Rita Tachikawa.” Izzy’s eyes widened slightly, did this guy have some interest in Rita? “She and her cousin are good friends of mine, was there something you wanted to know?” Izzy tried to regain his composure. Even if he wasn’t adept in social situations, he could still figure out what was going on here. “So you’re not going out with her then?” Izzy felt his chest tighten. “No, I’m not.” Izzy responded, receiving a smile back from Kuga. “Okay, good to know, later then.” Kuga spoke as he waved, walking back down the busy hall. Izzy’s stomach felt like it was in knots. Was this guy going to ask Rita out then? But really, why was this bothering him so much? This Kuga guy was known to be smart, kind, attractive, athletic, really he was any girl’s ideal. Rita would be better suited to a guy like that, rather than himself… In a second it hit him, himself? Why would that thought even cross his mind? It’s not like there was anything going on between them, Rita was his friend. Even if he did have an attraction towards her and was happy when she was around… it wasn’t love… was it? Izzy felt his face flush. It was true that he knew he had some sort of feelings for Rita, but he did like Mimi still. He already blew it with Rita since she knew that he liked Mimi. So then why? Why did he feel like doing nothing more than curling up in a ball in a dark and empty room? 

When he walked into class he jumped back in a daze when Rita raced up to him. “Izzy help!” She pleaded, Izzy just blinked a few times, looking over to Mimi who looked rather frustrated. “W-what’s wrong?” Izzy questioned, wondering what he possibly missed. “Look Izzy explain it to her, that it’s not a bad idea!” Mimi cried out. “Umm, I think I need a little more to go on…” Izzy sighed. “It’s the idea for the planning committee, Rita thinks my idea is too out there!” Mimi complained. Izzy figured Rita was right, but he matter as well hear them out. “So what is the idea?” He asked, looking at the two girls. “We are putting on a Daters café!” Mimi said proudly. “What is that?” Izzy asked, looking at Rita. “It’s based on a chain restaurant in America where girls with big boobs dress in sleazy outfits and put on entertainment…” Rita spoke, making Izzy freeze before sighing. “I see…” Izzy managed to mutter out. “It will be super popular for sure! Besides Rita you promised that you would help me out, remember?” Mimi argued. “That was before I found out I would have to dress in a low cut top and super short skirt and dance around in front of people!” Rita argued back. “We aren’t going to copy the designs exactly; I was thinking more cheerleader! Besides with you there we will for sure be packed!” Mimi proclaimed. “Why? Because I am a foreigner who can sing and play the guitar?” Rita groaned. “No, because you are super pretty and have big boobs!” Mimi smiled. Both Izzy and Rita turned bright red. “Seriously? That is your reasoning?” Rita cried out, Izzy had never seen her so mad before. “I’m looking at this from a logical point of view aren’t I? Come on Izzy you agree with me right?” Mimi asked, her eyes much scarier than he had seen before. Rita faced him as well, she too was waiting for his response. He understood Mimi’s point of view, however even he could see she wasn’t being very considerate of Rita’s feelings. They continued to stare at him, making him start to sweat, not knowing what to say. Lucky for him the teacher came in and started class. Mimi and Rita huffed off in different directions to their seats, it appeared that this conversation wasn’t over yet.

After school Izzy was surprised that Rita wanted to go with him to his office. Mimi was going out shopping for supplies to design the outfits for the café, and apparently Rita couldn't handle being around Mimi right now. “Do the two of you fight a lot?” Izzy asked, sitting at his office desk. “No, even when she says or does things that I don’t agree with, normally I just let it slide. “Then how come you didn’t this time?” Tentomon questioned, Izzy had already assumed why. “Because she was treating me like some sort of attraction! I mean she knows that I don’t like to stand out or draw attention and yet that's what she wants from me?” Rita vented. Mikumon sat next to Rita, resting her head on her lap, knowing that she just needed to get it all out. “I understand that it upsets you, but she is your cousin, you will have to make up sooner or later.” Izzy tried to help, however he knew his opinion wasn’t good in situations like these. “Why did Mimi want to make you an attraction? To attract what?” Tentomon asked, even more confused when both Rita and Izzy started to blush. “She says I will look good in the outfit and be able to attract a lot of guys because in Japanese standards I have a larger… breast size… it’s not that big for America though!” Rita yelled out in frustration. “I see… Izzy I don’t understand how humans work, do male humans like large breasts?” Tentomon asked, turning to his partner who planted his red face down on his desk. “P-please don’t ask things like that…” Izzy sighed. Tentomon then turned to Rita. “Don’t ask me, I’m a girl! However, it does seem to be common here… I have overheard some conversations and have caught men staring at my chest…” Rita spoke, covering her chest in embarrassment. “You mean you are aware of that?” Izzy questioned, not realizing she had actually heard those comments at the mall. “Of course, I’m not blind… or deaf… I just don’t want to be used to purposely draw that sort of attention…” Rita sighed. Izzy understood, Rita really wasn’t the type of person who liked to stand in the spotlight like Mimi did. It was at times like these that he really could see the differences between the two cousins. 

A sudden alert appeared on Izzy’s computer screen. “What is it?” Rita questioned, rushing over to his computer. “A distortion… I better call and warn everyone. Rita, get ready to head out!” Izzy gave her a serious look; one she knew meant there was trouble ahead. “I’ve contacted everyone and it appears that most of the group has responded, saying they are on their way.” Izzy stated. “We should go too then.” Rita spoke, looking down to Mikumon who nodded in reply. Rita clutched her chest as she listened to Izzy converse on the phone with Mimi. He told her to wait for the others and stay put, however… Rita knew Mimi, she wouldn't just sit back and listen. “Ah, she hung up on me!” Izzy looked rather frustrated himself. “She’s going in isn’t she?” Rita looked sad, Izzy nodded slowly. “It’s Orgemon… since he was Mimi’s friend, I have no doubt that she isn’t thinking rationally right now.” Izzy spoke with concern. “She has never been rational, but if her friend is suffering… Mimi won’t sit back no matter what you tell her. We need to go there right now!” Rita reasoned, grabbing Mikumon and running out the door. “W-wait for me!” Izzy called out as he followed after, Tentomon staying behind to ready the other Digimon for possible transport. As Rita ran, she could feel herself running out of breath, the pain in her throat becoming more noticeable. “Are you okay?” Izzy asked as he turned to look back. “Forget about me, we have to hurry…” Rita huffed as she continued running. “Rita doesn’t have very good stamina…” Mikumon muttered, catching Izzy’s attention. “We’re almost there…” Izzy tried to sound reassuring, the pained look on Rita’s face made his chest ache. She wasn’t thinking about herself at all right now… Mimi mattered more to her, and he knew that. 

When they arrived, Sora, TK, and Kari were already there. However, they were blocked off and couldn’t get any closer to the fight. Oddly enough Tai and Matt had shown up together. Still, it appeared that they couldn't do anything for now. “Mimi…” Rita’s grip on Mikumon grew tighter. “She will be okay Rita…” Mikumon tried to smile, however she was also worried about Mimi and Palmon. A helicopter had been hit by one of Togemon’s attacks, of course by accident. However, this was only going to make things worse for their Digimon. Mimi no doubt would be suffering. All of the commotion suddenly stopped and it looked as though Orgemon was pulled back through a distortion. “I have to go!” Rita cried out as Tai held her back. “Just wait, I’m sure Mimi will come back soon.” He reasoned, still struck by the tears forming in Rita’s eyes. “R-Rita…” Mimi’s voice spoke, everyone turned to see her and Meiko walking out with an injured Palmon and Meicoomon. “M-Mimi!” Rita cried as she ran to hug her cousin, her arms wrapping around her and Palmon both. Izzy felt agitated, he told her not to engage but she still did… and look what happened. “We should go talk somewhere away from the crowds.” Sora spoke, trying to break the tension. “First send Palmon and Meiccomon back to my space to rest…” Izzy requested, pulling out his laptop for the transfer. After all the Digimon were sent back, Mikumon included, the group moved on to a secluded area to talk. 

“I’m sorry…” Meiko spoke. “It wasn’t you guys, the helicopter got too close.” TK smiled reassuringly. “It’s not Meimei’s fault! I said to do it…” Mimi protested as she jumped up. “Didn’t I tell you to hold tight?” Izzy spoke, his tone was angrier then normal. “I’m sick of Palmon and the others being criticized! Aren't you guys too?” Mimi argued back. “Yes, but…” Tai mumbled awkwardly. “So you acted out of good intentions, now look at the result. It’s a very serious and delicate problem … Mimi, you have a very egocentric side.” Izzy spoke, Rita felt her stomach knot. The angry look on Mimi’s face clearly also felt his words. “That was uncalled for,” Sora sighed as she got up and walked over to Mimi. “No it wasn’t…” Rita spoke, all shocked eyes faced her. “Izzy is right Mimi, I understand your feelings and intentions but… you can’t always act on emotion alone!” Rita argued, clenching her fists. “Are you saying you wouldn’t have done the same? If your friend was suffering, you would just sit back?” Mimi yelled in response. “That’s not what I am saying! As much as it hurts, sometimes you have to try to see the bigger picture, you can’t act selfishly!” Rita cried out, the others stood back as they watched tears fall from both Rita and Mimi’s eyes. “Of course you would take Izzy’s side… I thought you out of everyone would understand how I feel! Rita, you idiot… I’m going home…” Mimi spoke as she then ran off. “Mimi wait!” Sora called out. “Mimi…” Meiko spoke as she tried to follow after. “Just give her some time.” Sora reasoned, looking over to Rita who had broken down crying, clutching her arms. The others continued to talk, wondering what had happened to Joe. Rita could barely follow, her mind kept showing her the sad look on Mimi’s face. Her words hurt, they continued to burn down deeper and deeper as she replayed them over and over in her head. “Rita, are you okay?” Sora spoke, her hand gently cupping Rita’s arm. Rita just nodded, somewhat lifelessly. “We should get you home,” she smiled warmly. “No… I don’t want to go home…” Rita spoke, her eyes still dazed over. “Let’s go back to my office, okay?” Izzy suggested, standing over Rita, he wasn’t sure there was much else he could do. Rita had taken his side and in doing so made Mimi even more upset. “We should probably talk through some things, why don't we all go?” Sora smiled, receiving a nod from the rest of the group. “Come on, let’s walk together!” Kari spoke, reaching her hand out for Rita to take. “T-thanks…” Rita blushed, taking hold of Kari’s hand. Right now there was nothing Rita could do, nothing that would help with her and Mimi’s fight. She just needed to be in a safe space, somewhere she felt comfortable. Izzy’s office had become that just place for her. 

Everyone was sitting in Izzy’s office when Tai walked in with a large muscular lion. The group jumped up surprised. “Leomon?” Matt questioned. “Why?” Sora too seemed surprised. “He says he has something to tell us.” Tai explained. Rita had remembered the name Leomon, this Digimon was also an important friend to Mimi. In that moment, all Rita could think was, ‘Mimi should be the one here… not me.’ As the Digimon and their partners gathered, Leomon took a seat to begin his explanation. “There are mutations occurring in the Digital World. I came to tell you about them. We first realized when Orgemon started acting strange. The cause is unknown, but apparently there are Digimon acting in the same strange way.” Leomon explained. “Yes, we call them Infected Digimon. Is one of the mutations the distortions in space, that’s connecting the Digital World and our world?” Izzy inquired. “Indeed, it is how I came here. I had my eye on Orgemon to keep him in check, but I was too late.” Leomon responded. “You don’t seem infected, why is that?” Tai asked. “I don’t know, I remember though, that when Orgemon was infected it was like something inside of him became deranged.” Leomon remembered, clearly concerned. “May I ask you something? Which came first in the Digital World, the distortions or the infected Digimon?” Izzy requested, moving back over to his large computer. “First came the infection,” Leomon answered. “I thought the distortions caused it all, but could perhaps the opposite be true? There could be something else causing the infection. For example, data or some program. Or even some kind of creature. If the distortions too were a phenomenon born from infection, it would add up.” Izzy concluded, typing away on his computer. The Digimon started to converse, they also seemed worried about the possibility that they might end up getting infected themselves. “Don’t worry, you’re safe as long as you are in the server in this room. It’s kept as a stand-alone ordinarily, but when connecting to the outside, it has a robust anti-intruder system of my own design of a threefold security. And you need my personal authentication.” Izzy explained, making Rita’s heart flutter. He was so amazing… “If the infection has an origin…” Tai pondered aloud. “Ring any bells?” Sora asked. Leomon then all of a sudden ran to the window, throwing open the blinds. “Is something wrong?” Izzy asked. “No… never mind…” He responded. Rita however wasn’t convinced. Things seemed to only be getting worse, and now her and Mimi were at odds. 

It was rather late and everyone but Rita and Izzy had headed home. “You know you will have to face her eventually…” Izzy spoke, feeling as though he shouldn’t butt in, yet he had to say something, since Rita hadn’t spoken in some time. “I know…” Rita sighed, petting Mikumon. “I mean you can stay as long as you want to, but I don't think avoiding her all together is the answer…” Izzy added, feeling more and more awkward by the second. “I know…” Rita again sighed. Izzy looked around, unsure of what else he could say or do. “D-do you want me to walk you home?” Izzy blushed, thinking that maybe she just didn’t want to go back alone. Rita felt her cheeks heat up at Izzy’s request. Looking down to Mikumon who just gave her a smile. “Sure… thanks…” Rita smiled softly, getting to her feet. “Mikumon maybe you should stay here tonight.” Rita suggested, as hard as that was for her. “Why is that?” Mikumon asked, looking sad from her partner’s idea. “I’m still worried about this infection… I feel like you will be safer here with the other Digimon, okay?” Rita’s smile was full of worry, Mikumon just responded with a soft smile and nod. Right now whatever she could do to help Rita she would do, even if it meant not being by her side. “Tentomon keep an eye on everyone for me, I will be back in a bit.” Izzy requested, standing up from his desk. “No worries, take your time!” Tentomon insisted, secretly hoping that the two of them spending more time together alone would lead somewhere. “Be good now, I will come back to see you tomorrow okay?” Rita spoke, her eyes were full of sadness and worry, the forced smile she wore not fooling anyone in the slightest. “I will, be safe on your way home. Izzy I leave her in your hands.” Mikumon smiled back, turning to Izzy with slightly more serious eyes. “Don’t worry, our world tends to be safer. If anything happens I will contact you immediately.” Izzy responded, grabbing his backpack and sliding his laptop inside. “Bye then,” Rita’s sad smile left Mikumon’s heart aching as she exited the room. The second her partner was out of sight, Mikumon could no longer force her own smile. “She will be okay Mikumon, don’t you worry!” Tentomon reassured, gently patting Mikumon on her back. “I hope so… even if I am her partner, right now I think Izzy is the one she needs by her side.” Mikumon admitted, a little envious. “I’m sure as awkward as Izzy can be, he will do his best to cheer her up.” Tentomon concluded. “Yeah, I know he will…” Mikumon smiled back. For now she would leave things to him. 

Walking back the air was quiet. Izzy wasn’t sure what he should say once again. Rita appeared rather reluctant to return back to her and Mimi’s place, and Izzy could understand why. “Are you going to try to talk to her?” Izzy asked, trying to break that reoccurring silence. “I don't know… she probably won’t want to talk to me, knowing her she will just be bundled in her room.” Rita sighed as she held her arms. “What about talking to Palmon?” Izzy suggested. “I don’t think that will be much better, Mimi might think I am ganging up on her again. Although I suppose I could try if things get worse. I’m sure Palmon will tell her to talk to me as well.” Rita pointed out, seeming that she understood Palmon’s personality quite well too. “I’m sorry… this is because I called Mimi out…” Izzy spoke; the guilt he was feeling erupting. “This isn’t your fault; I didn't have to agree with you if I didn’t think you were right… It probably hurt her more coming from me than anyone, however I figured if I said it too then she might actually listen since I rarely lecture her.” Rita explained. “Still, I was frustrated, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything…” Izzy sighed. “Well that probably didn’t help you in the romance section, however… you were right to say that…” Rita gave Izzy a soft smile. She had a point, arguing with Mimi like that would for sure not help her warm up to him… yet for some reason, right now he didn’t care. Why was that? “I find myself being a little hypocritical again…” Rita sighed heavily. “How so?” Izzy questioned, a little curious to her reasoning. “Because, I am like Mimi that way. To save someone I care for… no, even a stranger, I would do that as well…” Izzy’s eyes widened slightly. “Then why did you agree with me?” He asked again. “Because you were right… I’ve hurt others before by acting on my emotions, doing what I thought to be right doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone.” Rita’s eyes looked down again. “I see…” Izzy responded, he wasn’t sure what else he could say or do for her. “It will be okay… Mimi may get mad easy, but she loves you… she won’t stay mad at you for long.” Izzy said with a smile, making Rita give him a genuine one back. “Thank you Izzy,” her lips spoke, in her mind however the words ‘I really love you’ made her eyes start to sting with tears. Lucky for her it was dark and she managed to brush them away without Izzy noticing. 

Arriving outside the Tachikawa family’s apartment, the air once again grew awkward. “Thank you for walking me home…” Rita blushed, unsure of what sort of actions would be appropriate in a situation like this. “It was no trouble, if you need to talk or anything, you can always call me, okay?” Izzy smiled, his cheeks feeling flush. Rita’s heart ached, his genuine kindness warmed her heart, yet left her longing for more… much more. “Thank you…” Rita smiled back. “I’ll take good care of the Digimon, so don’t worry about Mikumon and the others.” Izzy attempted to reassure. “I will try, although I’m not sure what use that will do, I suppose a parent always worries about their child, and the Digimon are kind of like children, don’t you think?” Rita chuckled, Izzy’s eyebrow rose. “Hmm, well Tentomon isn’t like the others in that sense, however… I do get what you mean.” Izzy replied, a soft grin on his face. “Umm…I-Izzy…” Rita mumbled, her heart pounding out of her chest. “W-what is it?” Izzy asked, wondering what was with the adorable, yet embarrassed look she wore. “C-can I… umm…” Rita attempted to get out, right now desperately wanting to embrace him. “Sure?” Izzy’s tone sounding rather confused. The puzzled look on his face was rather endearing. Rita found herself chuckling again. “W-what?” Izzy was even more confused than before; he never could figure out what this girl was thinking. Instead of an answer, Izzy’s eyes widened fully at the sudden embrace. His heart leaping at the feeling of Rita’s arms suddenly being locked around his back. His cheeks were no doubt bright red as he did his best not to panic. Slowly his hands made their way to gently support her back as well. The fluttering in Rita’s stomach was overwhelming. The happiness she was feeling was only going to be fleeting, and she knew that. Still, his warmth surrounded her, and she felt at ease. Just this much was okay, right? A simple embrace between friends, in a time when she needed this connection. Unfortunately, she had to break apart, had to pull back and walk inside. Even if she could remain here indefinitely. The embarrassed and frazzled look on Izzy’s face was somewhat worth the release. “Thanks again… goodnight.” Rita smiled and waved as she headed on into the building. All Izzy could do was lift his hand up to signal a wave goodbye. His heart was still racing, not to mention her scent lingered. She smelt like a garden, bringing a field of flowers to mind. Clutching the strap of his backpack he headed on home. Unable to shake that moment from his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

That night Rita had attempted to talk to Mimi, being rather worried if she was alright. However, only hearing “go away!” from the other side of the door made it apparent that she was still not ready to converse. The next day at school was no better. Mimi left ahead of Rita, even when they usually walked together. In class the two didn’t speak or even glance in the other’s direction. Izzy’s concern was growing, obviously they weren’t able to make up. Rita seemed even more depressed then the previous day, of course he did understand completely. When she looked at him and smiled his heart skipped a beat, thinking about the embrace from last night. It was rather frustrating that he couldn’t put that aside for the present. Rita clearly needed his support right now, yet his feelings and mind were a complete mess. That lunch break Rita joined Izzy in the computer lab. “Are you sure you are fine spending your break in here with me?” Izzy asked, looking over to the seat next to him where Rita was browsing on the web. “Of course, where else would I be?” Her beautiful smile making his whole body heat up again. “I mean don’t you want to be outside on such a nice day?” He mused. “I enjoy being inside as well, there are tons of things to do on the internet after all.” Rita responded. “What do you do on the computer?” He asked, Rita just sat back in thought. “Hmm, well I message my friends, browse through the online shops of stores I like. Sometimes I read stories or play games, look at pictures of cute animals, etcetera.” Rita answered, looking over to Izzy’s screen. “What are you doing?” She asked, seeing all of the coding and open windows on the screen. “Just going over some data while messaging a few of my friends.” Izzy responded, again flustered by her sudden proximity. “Is that so…” Rita muttered before realizing how close she was to Izzy again. Blushing she moved back to her computer, trying to shake that feeling. A sudden ding on her phone made her jump. “What is it?” Izzy asked, seeing the serious look on her face as she focused on the smaller screen. “It seems that Sora and Meiko want to talk to me… it’s probably about Mimi.” Rita sighed. “You should go then; I will see you back in class.” Izzy smiled, hoping that this might solve the dilemma between the two girls. “Yeah, I will see you later then!” Rita smiled, her hand instinctively tousling Izzy’s hair before she left the room. As the door shut, Rita’s face turned into a glowing red mess. “What did I just do?” She quietly cried out as she ran to see Sora and Meiko. Izzy remained frozen, his heart racing again. How was he supposed to focus now? 

“Sorry it took me so long, I still get lost in this school…” Rita blushed, still slightly red from before. “Don’t worry, we just wanted to talk to you, if that is okay?” Sora smiled, taking a seat. “Of course… are those the outfits for the café?” Rita smiled, looking at the clothes on the table. “Ah, yes…” Meiko squeaked. “They really are cute!” Rita’s eyes lit up, finding herself drawn to the colour scheme. “It’s kind of about this as well…” Sora again spoke. “You want to talk about Mimi I presume.” Rita said as she sat down. The girls both nodding, their eyes showing concern. “Mimi seems really upset… she said to just forget these outfits and left.” Meiko explained. “Have you managed to talk to Mimi after what happened yesterday?” Sora inquired. “No… I tried to talk to her last night but she just told me to go away. Sorry I don’t think I can be of much help.” Rita felt her chest ache, she wanted to help Mimi, but what could she do? “I think we should keep going!” Meiko stated to the other girls’ surprise. “You mean keep making the outfits?” Sora asked. “Yes, I think Mimi’s idea is a good one… and Rita… I know how much she wanted to do this with you.” Meiko’s eyes were filled with drive, something Rita hadn’t seen from her. “She does huh?” Rita mused, picking up the outfit. “W-will you please do it with us? I-I know it’s embarrassing and it really is for me… but it would make Mimi so happy!” Meiko stated, clutching her uniform. Rita thought of Mimi’s smile, the smile that always made her feel happy and safe. She told herself before that Mimi’s happiness was most important to her. So if this would return that beautiful smile then so be it… embarrassing or not, for Mimi she would bear it. “Okay, I’ll do it.” Rita smiled, receiving two glowing smiles in return. “Thank you!” Meiko said as her eyes sparkled. “No… thank you Meiko, for caring so much for Mimi.” Rita spoke as she reached out to embrace Meiko. Happy to feel Meiko hug her back. 

Mimi had still kept her distance from the others, not wanting to talk to Rita either. Meiko and Rita in this time had gone over the dances and music. Rita deciding that she will sing as well. Meiko was sure Mimi would be thrilled in the end, knowing for sure that this would cheer her up. Rita was also happy in this time, finding she had a nice bond with Meiko. Not only was she a DigiDestined that wasn’t around in the beginning with the others, but like Rita she cared very deeply for Mimi and her partner as well. Izzy was a little surprised to find out that Rita was going to participate in the Daters café, but knew that it would for sure make Mimi happy. In the following few days however, Rita’s absence had become rather noticeable to him, something he didn't think much of before. It felt so natural having her around, he had to admit it, but it was a little lonely not having her by his side. Tentomon had pointed it out to him as well, implying that there might be something more to the two’s friendship. Izzy blushed as he denied it, still wondering himself if that might possibly be the case. Rita was rather disappointed when Izzy said he was too busy to stop by the café. There was a part of her that wanted him to see their performance, yet a bit of relief that he wouldn't have to see her in this outfit, dancing around. It was still embarrassing and if Izzy was there she might not be able to focus. When she entered the café with Meiko, wearing the kimono like cheerleading uniforms, all eyes fell on them. Trying to shake it off Rita just smiled saying she hopes this year will be a huge success. 

Meiko ran out the door, calling Mimi’s name. Rita clutched her chest as she took a deep breath, exiting the room herself. Seeing Mimi hugging Meiko, Rita smiled. Mimi’s eyes widening when she pulled back to see Rita standing there in the outfit as well. “R-Rita…” Mimi spoke, slowly walking up to her cousin. “Let’s put on a killer performance today!” Rita winked, making tears fall from Mimi’s eyes. “Rita!” She cried out as she ran into Rita’s arms, holding onto her tightly as she cried. “I’m sorry Mimi…” Rita spoke as tears formed. “No, I’m the one who is sorry!” Mimi continued to cry, her grip on Rita getting tighter. Rita gently pulled back, slowly shaking her head. “Come on, time for you to get changed.” Rita grinned, making Mimi smiled and nod. “Thank you… I love you so much Rita!” Mimi spoke as she wiped the tears away. “I love you too!” Rita replied as she also wiped away the forming tears. “We better hurry, we should update Mimi on the performances as well.” Meiko stated. “Oh did you add Rita into the dancing?” Mimi questioned. “A bit more then add,” Meiko smiled. “Are you going to sing?” Mimi’s eyes lit up completely. “Well… I figured I better get used to preforming in front of people…” Rita blushed. “I’m so happy!” Mimi sang as she pulled Rita into another hug. “Still, Meiko is right, we better go through some things first.” Rita smiled, knowing she made the right decision. Entering the room again, the other girls’ eyes widened once more. Mimi was back to her original upbeat self. Seeing that smile return made Rita’s heart lighten. She might end up having fun after all, it always was being with Mimi. 

It took a while to get Meiko to come out on the stage, ironically Rita didn’t end up being the most embarrassed. Mimi cheerfully greeted the customers as she pulled Meiko along. Rita blushed every time someone entered as she welcomed them. The murmurs among the guests were not helping with her racing heart. Still, she could do this! Working as a waitress was rather fun. Rita could feel herself gaining more confidence as time went on. She had overheard being called cute and hot a few times, making her blush in the direction of the complements. Mimi had pointed out that Rita had gained a lot of fans, Meiko as well. The line kept growing and Rita’s heart always jumped whenever it was time to perform. Even if they had to drag Meiko up on stage every time, Rita felt all her nerves fade the second she started to sing. Of course dancing with pompoms and jumping around was embarrassing as Meiko stated over and over again. Yet this time with Mimi and Meiko was so much fun, Rita had almost forgotten how nervous she originally was. Rita was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Nishijima and Himekawa stopped by. Although since Meiko knew them well she was even more embarrassed then before. Hearing Izzy’s name come up in conversation made Rita’s heart skip a beat. She was wondering how he was doing. It seemed everyone felt bad that he hadn’t shown up today and decided to work. Again the music started and Mimi and Rita had to drag Meiko over to the stage. It was starting to become like a comedy routine, although it was rather popular with both the male and female audience members. After the dance stopped, Rita consoled Meiko who seemed drained. Mimi then pulled out her phone. “Oh it looks like Izzy is coming!” Mimi grinned. Rita’s face turned bright red. “W-why?” Rita cried out. “Oh look who is embarrassed all of a sudden, don’t worry you look super sexy, Izzy will totally love it!” Mimi winked. “T-that’s not the issue!” Rita blushed back. After all, if he was coming it was to see Mimi, not her. 

Izzy felt mortified, even though he knew he had things to do and Digimon to keep an eye on, he still couldn't resist the urge to go to the café after Himekawa had sent him that picture of Mimi. He decided to dress up, trying to look as good as he could. Mimi looked really great in the photo, he couldn’t help but wonder how Rita looked. Of course she was beautiful in everything… the thought then again hit him. At this point, which of the two did he like more? It really was pathetic, how could someone as smart as him not figure out such a simple problem? “Oh Izzy, Hi!” Mimi waved as she lured him in. His whole face grew bright red, those outfits sure were short and tight. “What’s with the outfit?” She asked. “I-is something wrong with it?” Izzy panicked. Mimi just stared, “I guess it’s fine. Rita come over here, Izzy just arrived so stop hiding!” Mimi called out. Izzy’s cheeks again reddened at the sight of Rita in the cheer get up. Not only was her flustered face adorable but she really filled out the uniform. Her larger chest stood out more so than normal. “W-welcome…” Rita blushed, her arms trying to cover her outfit. She was surprised to see Izzy dressed up in a suit. Even if he did look good in it, why was he wearing it to a school festival? “Doesn’t she look amazing? She has become a huge hit with all of the guys!” Mimi winked. “M-Mimi!” Rita cried out, her eyes then looking over to Izzy, curious to what he was going to say. “Uh yeah… she does…” Izzy blushed, making Rita’s face glow. Mimi smirked proudly. “So table for one?” She asked. “For three please!” They turned to see TK and Kari walk in. “Ah TK, Kari.” Izzy spoke as he was brought back to reality. “May we sit with you?” Kari asked. “Of course!” Izzy replied. “Come on in!” Both Rita and Mimi smiled. “Table for three, Meimei can you show them to their seats?” Mimi called out. “Y-yes, this way please!” Meiko blushed as she gestured to the table. Sitting down Meiko handed them the menus. “I heard it was super busy, I’m glad we got in.” Kari stated. “Yeah it really has been, you just lucked out.” Rita smiled back. “Meiko, that outfit really suits you.” TK smiled. “Wha? I’m not… that's…” Meiko flushed. “Let me take your picture!” TK stated as he pulled his phone out. “So cute!” TK grinned. “Hey TK what about me!?” Mimi cried out. “It’s cute on you too,” TK smiled. “What do you mean too?” Mimi argued. “Really it probably suits Rita the best though, she really fills it out nicely.” TK informed, everyone’s eyes turning to Rita. Covering her chest Rita quickly hid behind Mimi. “Oh just because I don’t have big boobs like her?” Mimi cried out. “Mimi don’t yell that!” Rita begged, shaking Mimi. “Well I am not surprised at all for the amount of guys here, with the three of you it was bound to happen.” TK chuckled. Kari shooting him a dirty look. “C-come on now…” Rita mumbled, when her eyes met with Izzy’s she instantly blushed, looking away. “I got to get back to work!” Rita stated before the music started again. Her stomach felt knots now that Izzy was here. “Let’s go girls!” Mimi sang as she grabbed Meiko and dragged her to the stage. “Oh the best part now.” TK grinned, Izzy looked at Rita who seemed rather nervous. His eyes widened when she took the center, the others grabbing the pompoms when Rita started to sing and dance. Her and Mimi were a bundle of cute energy, dancing to a really upbeat song which Rita preformed perfectly. It seemed to be more cutesy then what Rita normally sang, either way, it was impossible to take your eyes off of her. Izzy’s heart was beating so loud he could hear it over the music even. Not settling in the slightest when the music came to an end and the audience erupted in applause. Izzy’s eye quickly took notice of that 2nd year who called him out before. He was no doubt watching Rita, and that made Izzy’s stomach hurt. 

“That was awesome you three!” TK smiled as the girls walked back over to the table. “It was; Rita you have such a lovely voice.” Kari smiled as well. “T-thanks…” Rita blushed, her eyes looked over to Izzy, which TK and Mimi instantly picked up on. “Well Izzy, what did you think?” TK smirked, the blush on Izzy and Rita’s faces only growing. “It was a lot of fun to watch! I’ve heard Rita preform before, but this really was different, in a good way though!” Izzy responded, slightly flustered. “Oh you have?” TK spoke, looking over to a blushing Rita. “I-I was hoping to gain enough confidence to perform in front of people.” Rita stated as she fiddled with her fingers. “Yeah, Rita even writes her own music!” Mimi informed. “Really? I’d love to hear it sometime!” TK again smiled. “Same here!” Kari added. “S-sure…” Rita blushed. “Rita can I talk to you for a second?” Rita turned around to see that 2nd year Kuga guy she had talked to a few times before. “Oh, sure just a second. I’ll be right back!” She quickly waved, following after Kuga. “Ohhhh, looks like a love confession to me!” Mimi cheered. “You think so?” Meiko questioned. “Wouldn’t surprise me, Rita seems to be popular with the guys.” TK added, his eyes glancing over to Izzy, noting the somewhat down air he was giving off. “But really, isn’t that guy super popular? He’s totally gorgeous right?” Mimi pointed out, Izzy felt his stomach sink even more. “Do you think Rita will accept his confession?” Meiko asked in Mimi’s direction. Izzy’s ears perked up, curious to Mimi’s thoughts. “Hmm, well I don't know how familiar she is with the guy, it appeared she does know him to some extent. However, I don’t think she will.” Mimi smiled. Izzy felt a slight flutter in his chest. “Why not?” Kari questioned. “I agree with Mimi, I think her heart lies elsewhere.” TK grinned, looking at Mimi with a wink. “Right!” Mimi winked back. Izzy was rather confused, did they know something that he didn't? 

“Sorry to take you away from your friends and your work.” Kuga spoke as he and Rita made their way outside. “Oh it’s no problem, I could use some fresh air from all of the dancing.” Rita smiled back. “You really were amazing, I had no idea you had such a beautiful voice.” Kuga smiled, Rita could easily see why he was so popular with the girls. What she didn’t understand was what he wanted with her. “T-thanks… what was it you wanted to talk about?” Rita questioned. “Right, I know we don’t know each other very well, but from when I first saw you… I couldn’t get you out of my mind.” Kuga stated, Rita felt her face flush, her heart pounding. Was this… a love confession? “I wanted to tell you that I like you, and wondered if you would go out with me?” Kuga’s eyes were serious, Rita felt her mouth dry out, the sound of the wind growing louder and louder. What should she say? What should she do? Here was an extremely kind and attractive guy telling her that he liked her and wanted to be with her… but in her mind she could only think of Izzy. “I-I’m really happy to hear your feelings… I admit I was really surprised. However, I’m sorry… I can’t…” Rita felt her whole body ache, she didn’t want to look up and see the sad look on his face. “Is it because you are in love with Izumi?” Instantly her eyes shot up, the dust of red on her cheeks grew tenfold. “I…I…” Rita tried to speak, however she was only met with a smile. “Honestly, I figured this was the case… I’ve been watching you and I see the way you look at him. I’m surprised someone as smart as him is completely blind though.” Rita clutched her chest, trying to find the right words to say. “H-he likes someone else… and even though I know that, it still wouldn’t be right for me to accept your confession. Believe me when I say it isn’t you at all. I just don’t think it’s right to go out with someone if you are in love with someone else, you know?” Rita explained. Kuga just reached out to place his hand on Rita’s shoulder. “I understand, but… I won’t give up.” Rita blushed as she looked into Kuga’s eyes. “B-but…” “You never know how things work out, your feelings might change someday. For now I just want you to know how I feel and consider it.” Kuga’s smile was warm, he truly seemed to be as good a guy as the rumours said. “I don’t know that they will… but thanks, I will keep that in mind.” Rita smiled back. “You should get back now before your friends start to worry.” He replied. “R-right,” Rita muttered. “I’ll walk you back.” He again smiled. “T-thanks…”

As the two walked back to the Daters café, Rita froze when Mimi, Meiko, TK, Kari, and Izzy all came running her way. “W-what’s going on?” Rita questioned, looking around at everyone’s expressions. “The Di- our partners are here!” Mimi stated, Rita looked over to Kuga who looked rather confused. “R-right… sorry Kuga it looks like I have to go.” Rita spoke hesitantly. “S-sure, later then.” He smiled as everyone kept running. “Izumi…” Kuga spoke, making Izzy stop. “I won’t lose to you…” He again said before walking off. Izzy was left frozen, wondering what exactly had happened. Rushing to where the Digimon were, Mimi pried into what happened. “So did he ask you out?” Mimi inquired. “Can we talk about this later!?” Rita argued, figuring this was going to be a long discussion. “Fine fine, but you better tell me everything!” Mimi insisted, causing some worry for Rita. It turned out that the Digimon had entered the Creepy-Cute costume contest in hopes of winning food. Rather typical, still the fact they had gotten out made Rita worry. The girls ended up taking their partners back to the café to keep an eye on them. Rita had wondered where Izzy disappeared to, he likely would blame himself for letting the Digimon get out so easily. Still, the café was still going strong and Rita had to focus for now. Not think about her feelings for Izzy and the confession from Kuga. Rita felt her phone beep, looking down at the message from Izzy, it appeared that there was another distortion, and this time at school. “Rita!” Mimi called out as her and Meiko ran over. “Did you get the message from Izzy?” Mimi asked. “The distortion, yeah.” Rita responded. “Mei has disappeared…” Meiko panicked. “You two go look for her, we will meet at the distortion. I’m going to go find Izzy!” Rita stated, picking up Mikumon and running out of the door. Really, at a time like this? “Izzy!” Rita called out, seeing Izzy run her way. “Rita, where are Mimi and Meiko?” Izzy asked, seemingly out of breath. “They went on ahead, Meiccomon disappeared so they went to look for her…” Rita answered, holding Mikumon close to her. “Not good… come on let’s go!” Izzy said as he continued running. In the direction of the distortion the two ran into Matt, Sora, Tai, TK, and Kari. However, when arriving at the scene, Mimi and Meiko were standing outside the distortion with looks of concern. “Meicoomon’s been taken by Ken!” Mimi proclaimed, everyone froze in shock. Rita had wondered why she hadn’t seen Davis or the others since arriving. For some reason, their names never came up in conversation. Inside, Palmon, Leomon, and Gomamon were faced off with the Digimon Emperor and Imperialdramon.

“Something is wrong,” Izzy spoke, the other Digimon attempted to jump through the distortion, only to be repelled back. “This distortion’s shut tight.” Tentomon observed. “Some extraordinary force might be shutting out penetration from the outside… the distortion!” Izzy called out as the distortion started to close. “What the heck is happening Izzy?” Tai called out as everyone gathered around Izzy’s computer. “Please wait, I’m trying to monitor what is happening inside.” Izzy reasoned, typing away on his laptop. “Here we go…” he spoke as his eyes continued to fix on the screen. The screen suddenly showed the battle, and unfortunately showed Leomon succumbing to the infection. “It happened again!” Mimi stated, attention shifting to her. “Again?” TK questioned. “The same thing happened just now.” Mimi informed. “Could Leomon be infected?” Izzy wondered aloud. As Leomon suffered with the infection, Palmon and Gomamon continued to withstand attacks from the Mega leveled Digimon. “Palmon!” Mimi called out, activating her Digivice and Digivolving Palmon to Togemon. Rita knew that wasn’t going to be enough. Joe wasn’t here and there was no way that Togemon at a Champion level could handle the situation alone. “Togemon can’t do it alone!” Sora voiced. “Damn, can’t we plunge in there somehow?” Gabumon questioned. “Is there no way to get in the computer?” Biyomon asked. “How about it Izzy?” Tentomon questioned. “I’m afraid not,” Izzy replied. Everyone had to sit and watch as Togemon and Gomamon withstood attack after attack. It was painful for Rita, and she knew it must have been even harder for Mimi. The Digimon tried cheering for their friends, but there was only so much they could do. “It’s too much for Gomamon,” Matt stated. “Gomamon has to Digivolve!” TK concluded. Rita watched as Kari ran off, almost positive she was going to search for Joe. “Togemon!” Mimi cried out, for her sake as well, Rita prayed they would hurry back. 

“Run Gomamon!” Matt called out. “Gomamon!” Tai’s voice echoed. “Gomamon!” Joe’s voice was heard as he collapsed in front of the computer. “I’m here now, go Gomamon!” Joe cried out, his Digivice reacting in response. Everyone was stunned to see Gomamon reach his Mega level for the first time. Joe seemed to have found his resolve, passing his personal issues and reaching enlightenment. His words reached Mimi as she too called out for her partner, resulting in the Mega form of Rosemon. The DigiDestined watched in awe as the two Mega leveled Digimon rejoined the battle. A heated fight ended with the result of Imperiadramon being defeated. The group cheering from the team victory. Leomon held Meicoomon, Tanemon, and Bukamon in his arms as the Digimon exited the distortion. Tanemon and Bukamon jumped into their partner’s arms, yet for some reason Meicoomon didn’t reach out to Meiko. “You both Digivolved into Mega, what would cause that to happen? Wait, could it be?” Izzy questioned, going back to his computer. “What is it Izzy?” Rita asked, bending down to look over him. “Know the darkness and go beyond… could it be a prophecy?” Izzy questioned to himself, turning to look at Mimi and Joe. The feeling of stress and panic had been lifted and it seemed that things were okay for now… until, before anyone knew what had happened. Meiccomon had Digivolved and attacked Leomon. Watching in horror, Rita couldn’t even react. “Leomon!” Tai cried out. “What’s happening?” Sora spoke. Meicoomon’s new form then went berserk, charging at Leomon before destroying him completely. “Noooooo” Kari cried out. Rita clutched onto Izzy’s sleeve as everyone watched Meiccomon’s new form disappear into the distortion. All anyone could question was, “what in the world just happened?”


	8. Chapter 8

As hard as it was to leave Mimi and Meiko, Rita knew that the best place for her to be was with Izzy back at his office. She knew he would pour himself into his computer and someone else besides Tentomon needed to look after him. Rita watched how focused Izzy was, although it was not only that. His expressive face was unable to hide his concerns and how stressed he was over this. Rita just sat on the couch with Mikumon on her lap. The room was quiet, although it was better for Izzy that way so he could concentrate. “Will Meiccomon come back?” Mikumon asked, her eyes filled with sadness and worry. Rita tried to smile, even if it wouldn’t fool her partner in the slightest. “We will do all we can, for now just do your best to keep the other Digimon’s hopes up okay?” Rita’s gentle voice always managed to sooth Mikumon, even if she could tell that Rita was just as worried as she was. “Okay! But…Izzy hasn’t looked up once since we came back here…” Mikumon observed, looking at Rita who also had noticed. “Don’t worry, Izzy gets like this most of the time. Sometimes he won’t talk for hours, so just relax and have a snack.” Tentomon stated, bringing over some snacks for the Digimon. “Okay, thanks for all your support Tentomon.” Rita smiled, patting Tentomon on his head. He really was fond of Rita.

The Digimon all returned to the monitor when Tai, Matt, Sora, and Joe came by. Rita took it upon herself to go out and gather some more snacks for everyone, considering they would likely be there for some time. The fresh air felt nice against Rita’s skin. By the way things were going so far, Rita was going to end up having to force Izzy outside at some point. She sighed heavily, wondering how things could have ended up like this. Thinking about Leomon made her eyes sting with tears. Was he really gone forever now? Izzy had told her before that if a Digimon dies in the real world then they are unable to come back. That was too sad to even think of, and the part that scared her the most was, if something happened to Mikumon in their world, then would she never be able to see her again? Izzy was right about keeping Mikumon and the others in his server, better to keep them as safe as possible until Izzy figured out what was going on. Even if it was a little lonely having Mikumon inside the server instead of right beside her. It wasn’t as though she couldn't talk to her or anything… so why was Rita feeling so lonely? 

As Rita returned to the office, Mimi and Meiko were also heading up. “Oh you both are finished then?” Rita smiled, trying to not seem as down as she was feeling. “Yeah, sorry we are so late!” Mimi replied. “No, don’t be… I’m sorry that I wasn’t there to help…” Rita responded. “Oh don’t worry about that, you weren’t officially a part of the planning committee anyway.” Mimi grinned. Rita turned to look at Meiko, she seemed so down and of course Rita could understand why. “How is Izzy doing?” Mimi asked as the three girls made their way up the elevator. “He’s been so focused this whole time, barely said a word… I wish there was something more I could do for him…” Rita sighed. “Don’t be silly, Izzy has always been like that. I think you just being at his side is doing more then you realize.” Mimi smiled, her hand gently placed on Rita’s shoulder. “Thanks… I hope so…” Rita spoke, clutching the bag of treats in her arms. “Did you go out for snacks or something?” Mimi asked. “Yeah, we were getting low with all of the Digimon, plus with everyone coming over I figured it’s better to be over prepared then under.” Rita explained as they exited the elevator, heading to Izzy’s office. “Good point.” Mimi smiled as she rang the bell. Opening the door, she instantly called out. “Sorry! I was cleaning up” “Oh and I’m back as well!” Rita jumped in before Sora rushed up to a very sad looking Meiko. “Are you alright?” Tai asked. “Oh… yes, I’m sorry for making you worry.” Meiko responded, clearly not okay. “Thanks for running errands for me,” Izzy spoke after Rita had placed the bag on the table. “Don’t worry, anything I can do to help.” She smiled back, standing beside Izzy as he continued to type away. “Anyway, we need to quickly iron out a plan. There are a lot of things I want to ask Mochizuki.” Izzy requested. “Okay…” Meiko responded, still down. “If Meicoomon is infected then I want to find out why. Were there any symptoms? When did the infection occur? Please remember! We need your information to pin down the cause of infection. Even small details will help!” Izzy was becoming frantic, Rita felt helpless, and when Meiko started to cry it became even worse. “Hold on Izzy, this isn’t some police interrogation! Take Meimei’s feelings into consideration a bit more!” Mimi argued back. “There’s no time to go about this leisurely!” Izzy yelled as he stood up, surprising Rita. “I’m saying you’re being too insensitive!” Mimi shot back. “The infection may be spreading at this rate, we don’t have time to focus on trivial things!” Izzy defended in an aggressive tone. “Trivial! What?” Mimi cried out. “Stop it you two!” Both Rita and Sora yelled. Mimi and Izzy both looked away, Rita wasn’t sure what to say. She understood both sides, and in a way they were both right. 

“It’s all my fault…Mei… I’m, I’m sorry!” Meiko started to cry. Mimi and Sora went over to console her. “Listen Izzy, this all happened really fast… why don't we give Meiko some time to adjust? It’s more likely she will be able to remember something once she has had some time to think.” Rita stated, Izzy just looked frustrated. “I get what you are saying, but we just don’t have the time.” Izzy pointed out. “I know that, but we can’t force her to remember anything, and maybe the pressure of time is only making it harder… Mimi, maybe you and the others should go for now. I will stay here with Izzy, so contact me if anything happens. Meiko… try to take it easy and if you do remember anything, please call me, okay?” Rita spoke softly, reaching out to touch Meiko’s arm. “Okay…” Meiko nodded. “Thank goodness at least one of you has some compassion…” Mimi retorted, glaring over at Izzy. He too shot her a glare back. “Mimi please stop… Izzy is more stressed then anyone and sometimes consideration has to be put 2nd when lives are on the line. Please don’t be so hard on him, he is doing his best for everyone.” Rita spoke, the look in her eyes shook Mimi. What she had said to Izzy before, it appeared that it had hurt Rita the most. “Rita… alright, I will talk to you later then.” Mimi smiled, hugging Rita before her and the others left the office, leaving Rita and Izzy alone. “You didn’t have to defend me again…” Izzy sighed, not wanting Rita to get into another fight with Mimi because of him. “I spoke the truth is all, you and Mimi are polar opposites, probably why you have an attraction to her.” Rita smiled, making Izzy blush. He knew that there was the saying, opposites attract, which could in fact be the case. Then again, he also was attracted to Rita, and she was someone who understood him very well. “I’ll keep in contact with the others for you and let you know if anyone has any more information. For now you just focus, I will take care of everything else.” Rita smiled, Izzy’s heart began to race again. “Thanks… really Rita… thank you.” Izzy blushed, his eyes still glued to his screen. Rita then proceeded to put away what she had bought earlier, bringing Izzy another bottle of oolong tea before sending more snacks to Tentomon for distribution. 

Hours had passed and Izzy continued to type away. “Izzy it’s getting late, shouldn’t you go home and rest?” Rita asked with concern. “No… I have to figure this out…” Izzy responded as the sound of his fingers hitting the keyboard continued to fill the room. “Your parents must be worried…” Rita pointed out. “They are aware that I won’t be home until late, or even the next day.” Izzy sighed, his voice sounding more irritated. “I understand how important this is to you, but you better get some sleep tonight, your brain needs it!” Rita argued. “I don’t have time for that!” Izzy shot back, clearly frustrated. Rita sighed heavily, she knew that Izzy wasn’t going to budge in the slightest. “Do you need me to get anything from your place?” Rita offered. “No, everything I need I have here…” Izzy replied, again not once looking up. “I see…” Rita muttered to herself. “You should go home and sleep, it is getting late.” Izzy informed, taking another sip of his tea. “But… I don’t want to leave you all alone here…” Rita admitted, it was true, the thought of leaving him made her heart ache. “I’ll be fine; you can always come back tomorrow.” Izzy concluded. Rita figured that if he wasn’t going to take care of himself then it was her job to do so. Rita first needed to get some rest herself. “Okay, I will see you tomorrow then… please try to get some sleep, okay?” Rita spoke, grabbing her bag. “I’ll be okay, get some rest yourself.” Izzy replied, still not meeting Rita’s gaze. Another heavy sigh escaped Rita before she left Izzy’s office. That boy really was hopeless. 

Walking towards the elevator, Rita jumped back slightly when a woman came out, a little surprised herself. Rita bowed slightly, before passing her. “By your uniform, are you perhaps one of Izzy’s friends?” The woman spoke, catching Rita’s attention. “Ah, yes… are you his mother then?” Rita asked, taking note on how beautiful the woman was. “Yes I am, thank you for coming to see him. I’m sure he has been wrapped up in his work though, so please excuse him if he wasn’t the best host.” She smiled, Rita could instantly tell what a kind woman she was. “No don’t worry, he has been working hard for all our sakes… I only wish I could do more to help him, but I don’t think it’s possible to get him off of the computer right now.” Rita sighed. “Oh I know that feeling, I just came by to bring him something to eat.” Izzy’s mother smiled as she held out a bento box. “That is really sweet, I’m sure he appreciates it. I managed to get him to eat something much earlier, however nothing would compare to a home cooked meal. I’m sure that will do him some good.” Rita smiled back, her kind features were very apparent to Mrs. Izumi. She couldn’t help but be curious to what the relationship was between this beautiful young girl and her son. After all she was here rather late for a school night. “Have you been looking after Izzy all day?” Mrs. Izumi asked, making Rita blush. “Ah… umm yeah… I couldn’t leave him alone in this state, but he made a good point that I needed to sleep if he wasn’t. I will come back to check up on him tomorrow though!” Rita felt rather flustered, wondering what Izzy’s mother was thinking. “Thank you for caring about my son, I’m sure he is really happy having you by his side.” She smiled, noting the flustered look on the young girl’s face. “Ah, I don’t know about that… oh, I didn’t introduce myself. My name is Rita Tachikawa, I’m Mimi’s cousin from Canada. I recently transferred into Izzy’s class at school and I also have a partner Digimon.” Mrs. Izumi’s eyes widened. “Oh you’re Mimi’s cousin, and you have a friend like Tentomon then?” She smiled. “Y-yes, I’m sure you have been worried about the recent Digimon attacks… Izzy has been working hard to try to solve everything himself, as usual… I don’t know if I can reassure you at all, but… I promise I will do whatever I can to support your son, and I will make sure that he is taking care of himself as well, so please try not to worry!” Rita bowed, wondering if she overstepped a boundary. Mrs. Izumi found herself smiling, Izzy had found himself such a wonderful girl. “I can tell you care a great deal about Izzy,” she chuckled, turning Rita’s face bright red. “I er… that’s…” Rita wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you Rita, knowing he has such a sweet girl by his side, I am very relived.” Izzy’s mother really was kind. “O-of course…I-I better get going, please take care!” Rita spoke as she attempted to regain composure. “I’m sure we will meet again soon.” Mrs. Izumi smiled as she waved goodbye, heading towards her son’s office. Getting in the elevator, Rita grabbed her cheeks. “What just happened?” She cried out, there was no doubt that Mrs. Izumi didn’t notice her feelings. Was the cat out of the bag now? 

Rita had tried to sleep as much as she could, yet she still couldn’t get Izzy out of her head. He was probably still typing away on the computer after all. The following morning when Rita arrived at school to see that Izzy was absent, in her heart she knew he had not once moved from that spot. At lunch Rita decided to take off and go to Izzy’s office. Mimi said she would take notes on what they missed, reassuring Rita that it was best for her to go. Stopping at the convenient store, Rita grabbed Izzy’s favourites before rushing to his office. To no surprise the place was dark and a mess. There were drink bottles and wrappers everywhere, and Izzy typing away. “Did you get any sleep last night?” Rita asked as she entered. “No, but it’s okay.” Izzy responded, his eyes still glued to his screen. Rita sighed, cleaning up the mess he had made during her absence. “I brought you more snacks, and of course oolong tea!” Rita smiled as she placed a bottle beside him. “Thanks…” he spoke, not looking up again. Rita turned to the screen to see the Digimon looking extremely concerned. “It’s no good… I can’t figure this out!” Izzy groaned as he grabbed his head. “Izzy… please, you need to get some rest!” Rita insisted. “I can’t, I need to keep working, we’re running out of time…” He replied, the Digimon turned to Rita, almost like asking her to do something. “Izzy Izumi!” Rita called out, Izzy actually turning to look at her with slightly widened eyes. There were large bags under his eyes and he looked completely warn out. “I am begging you to at least close your eyes for just a little bit. Even a nap will help… please…” Rita collapsed to her knees, her hands gripping Izzy’s arm. “I… have to keep working…” He spoke very quietly. “For me… please… don’t make me drag you…” Rita sighed. “I uh…” Izzy blushed. “Just come and lay down on the couch with me okay?” Rita’s face being as close as it was to Izzy’s made him blush even more then her suggestion. “J-just for an hour…” Izzy responded. Rita’s eyes teared up with happiness as she threw her arms around him. Turning Izzy into a blushing mess. “Thank you…” She really did seem happy… Izzy remembered his mother’s comments last night after she had met Rita in the hall. He tried to tune them out as he worked, but his mother seemed sad when he said Rita wasn’t his girlfriend. Moving over to the couch, Izzy’s face continued to shine red when Rita patted beside her. As he sat down, Rita gestured for him to lay down, gently leading his head to lay on her lap. Did she honestly think he would be able to fall asleep now? This was a couple like thing… did Rita not even think about that? Was this just common behavior in America? As she brushed through his hair, Izzy found himself growing more and more relaxed by the second. Rita was warm, her scent made his racing heart also manage to calm slightly. Before he knew it his eyes were closed and he had fallen asleep. Rita chuckled to herself, really thinking that took no time at all. The poor guy was obviously so tired, yet he forced himself to work all this time. Rita watched his sweet sleeping face, continuing to brush through his hair and gently rub his cheeks. Was it wrong of her to be so happy right now? With everything going on, how could she feel such bliss? 

Izzy ended up sleeping for over 2 hours, but of course rushed back to the computer the second after. Rita decided to go out and get some food for him, making sure he got a good dinner into him. That night when she left she had made a decision. If Izzy wasn’t going to leave that room, then neither would she. There were a mixture of feelings, it was true she wanted to stay by his side because she was in love with him. Yet… she also knew she was the only one who could make things just a little easier for him. That night she had packed up her things, stopping at school in the morning to gather the work she had missed. Mimi understood where Rita was coming from, she knew why Rita needed to be at Izzy’s side. In all honesty is was a bit of a relief for Mimi, all the pressure they put on Izzy over and over again did leave her feeling guilty. Rita just wanted to be with the person she loved, so her watching over Izzy was probably the best thing for both of them. 

When Joe had shown up at Izzy’s office he had wondered if this workaholic had gotten any sleep. Finding out he had taken a nap was one thing, but that was still two nights where he actually hadn’t gotten a proper rest. He had told Izzy to sleep or at least take a shower, telling him he would never get a girlfriend like this. “I’m back!” Joe looked towards the door to see Rita pulling a suitcase behind her. “Oh Rita, what is with the suitcase?” Joe questioned. “Oh Joe it’s great to see you! I decided since Izzy isn’t sleeping when I leave that I am going to stay overnight with him! Someone has to watch this boy 24/7 at this rate.” Rita grinned, walking over to Izzy and patting him on the head. Joe realized that his earlier comment to Izzy might in fact be wrong… “Come on Izzy get up!” Rita stated, pushing his chair back and standing in front of the screen. “W-why?” Izzy blushed, the comment of her staying overnight hadn’t quite been processed by his brain yet. “You need to stretch at least… you have been hunched over this entire time, your back must be killing you.” Rita observed. “It’s fine, I’m used to it…” Izzy responded looking over to Joe who was watching the interaction between the two with amusement. “Joe, you’re stronger than me. Can you please get him off the chair, with force if necessary and bring him over to the floor over there?” Rita requested before heading back to her suitcase. “Uh, sure… why?” Joe asked, looking at Izzy who didn’t seem to follow either. Opening her bag, she pulled out a yoga mat. “I was thinking of what I could do to help Izzy, and then it hit me! Massage!” Rita grinned, also grabbing some oil. “W-what?” Both guys cried out. “He is no doubt stiff as a board, if he is going to go right back to it then I can at least help with the muscles in his shoulders. If you could get him on the mat, please also remove his shirt…” Rita blushed slightly at the last part. Izzy on the other hand was bright red. “You heard her!” Joe grinned, grabbing Izzy and dropping him on the mat. “Wait, don’t I get a say in this?” Izzy panicked. “A beautiful girl wants to give you a massage and you are putting up a fight?” Joe questioned, noting the blush on the younger boy’s face only increase. “I know it’s not a massage table or anything and I’m not a professional… but I do have some experience from working on my mother when she was suffering from a chronic disease. Do you trust me?” Rita asked as she knelt beside a flabbergasted Izzy. “O-of course I do it’s just… embarrassing…” Izzy muttered. “Well it’s for your own good! Are you going to take your shirt off or do I have to do it?” Rita asked, a slight blush appearing on her face. “I-I can do it!” Izzy cried out, knowing that her undressing him would be his limit. “I’m curious to see what you do, mind if I watch?” Joe asked. “Of course, it would probably be a little less awkward that way as well.” Rita smiled, actually relieved. Once Izzy had his shirt off his face only headed up more. “O-okay so please rest your head on this pillow and lay on your chest. I will start with an adjustment.” Rita spoke as Izzy followed her orders. “A-adjustment?” Izzy questioned, wondering what was going to happen.

His face only flushed more as Rita had moved to sit on his butt. “W-what are you doing?” Izzy asked, his heart pounding like mad. “Just relax, I want you to take a deep breath okay?” Rita spoke in as relaxing a tone as she could. “R-right…” Izzy responded, wondering how the hell he could relax in a situation like this. As he took a deep breath he felt Rita’s soft and gentle hands press firmly on his back. Breathing out she pushed down, resulting in a loud crack. “What did you do?” Joe questioned, startled by the sound. “Just adjusting his back to where it should be. One more, okay Izzy?” She said sweetly, he had to admit the sound of his back cracking was startling, yet it felt good. One more adjustment as she moved her hands higher on his back, he was surprised that again there was a loud crack sound. “Wow he must have been really out of place…” Joe mentioned, looking at Rita with amazement. “You can sit up for the next part, I’m sure it will be easier to breath this way.” Rita smiled as Izzy nervously sat up. He didn’t dare face her due to the obvious redness on his face. Hearing a pop from a bottle opening, the smacking like clicking sound as what he assumed was Rita warming up the oil in her hands. She would no doubt be able to feel how fast his heart was racing if she placed her hands on his body. “Just relax okay?” Her sweet voice combined with her warm breath on his neck sent shivers all over his body. It was a good thing Joe was here watching or it really would have become awkward. 

Rita’s warm touch was soothing as she gently caressed his shoulders and arms. Using her thumbs, she pressed into points on his back, mixing pain with pleasure. “Let me know if the pressure is okay.” Rita spoke, her tone would be relaxing to some, yet to Izzy it set his body a flame. “So you are going over the muscles he uses by typing?” Joe asked, finding what Rita was doing fascinating. “Yes, also the ones he would strain by being in that position for as long as he has been. I’m not using too much pressure, just enough to loosen the muscles.” Rita explained. Her touches felt overwhelming, not only was it releasing the stiffness he felt, but because it was Rita, his body was feeling hotter and hotter. This was no doubt going to lead to a bad situation on his part. But it felt too good to have her stop at this point. Moving to his neck she rubbed circles up and down as she slowly rolled his head. “So where did you learn to do this?” Joe inquired. “Well, I picked up on some from watching and also what I had done on me after I hurt myself in an accident. I also mentioned that I used to do this for my mother a lot. Different areas, but once you understand how the muscular structure works, it can be adjusted rather easily.” Both Izzy and Joe were impressed, it also didn't surprise Izzy that she learned to do this to help someone she cared about. “Joe if you could do me a favour and get Izzy some hot tea. I’m going to insist that he lays down for a while after this. I’m going to do what I can to get him to sleep.” Rita smiled, making Joe smile in response. “Sure thing!” Joe said before standing up and exiting the room. “Does this feel better?” Rita blushed, now that she was alone with Izzy things were growing a bit more heated. “Y-yeah… thanks…” Izzy flushed, how close she was to him was only becoming more apparent. “Is there anywhere else you want me to work on? Anything else that hurts?” Rita’s hushed voice in his ear was becoming too much. “N-no you have already helped a lot, you… can stop now, okay?” Izzy requested, needing to calm himself down before his problem only grew. “O-okay… Rita voiced, a little disappointed she could no longer touch him. “I’ll set up a place for you to sleep, Joe should be back with the tea any minute… so you can get dressed again…” Rita informed, handing Izzy back his shirt. Somehow her and Joe managed to get him to bed in a rather short amount of time. The two sighed with relief when Izzy had actually fallen asleep, looking at the other and smiling. Joe couldn't help but wonder something, if Rita had some sort of feelings for Izzy. The way she looked at him and cared for him definitely made him think so. Izzy seemed unaware, but that look in her eyes as she watched him sleep. Joe couldn’t think of anything else to describe it then a look of love.


	9. Chapter 9

Rita and Joe ended up having a nice long chat. Rita couldn't believe how much more difficult school was in Japan versus America. The poor guy had been studying nonstop, even so… he still made time to check up on his friend. That made Rita very happy, knowing how much the others cared for Izzy as well. It was a nice surprise when TK showed up, the Digimon took this chance to jump out of the screen since Izzy was asleep and couldn't scold them. “Mikumon are you sure this is a good idea?” Rita questioned, looking over to Patamon who dived strait into TK’s arms. “Have you guys been in there the whole time?” Joe asked. “Izzy’s been getting neurotic; we were trying to keep out of his way.” Tentomon responded. “Don’t say that, he is just trying to be as safe as possible.” Rita smiled, actually happy to have Mikumon in her arms again. “However, Rita has been taking very good care of Izzy!” Tentomon pointed out, making Rita blush. “Ah, is that so?” TK smirked, only making Rita’s blush grow. Joe and Rita then decided it would be a good idea to set up some snacks for the Digimon. Joe suddenly noticed something was up with TK and went to check on him. “Is everything okay? Doesn’t Patamon want something to eat?” Rita asked. “Everything is fine!” TK called back, his voice however not seeming very relaxed. Rita decided to go make everyone a warm drink, taking a look at Izzy sleeping one more time before exiting the room. She figured Izzy would probably lecture her for letting the Digimon out, but like him they needed a break. “Rita, are you really okay?” Mikumon asked as she helped prepare the drinks. “Of course, why do you ask?” Rita questioned. “Well… you have been taking care of Izzy all this time, have you been taking care of yourself?” Mikumon’s eyes looked worried. “I have, don’t worry! Right now the best thing I can do for everyone is help Izzy… if I wasn’t here I would be too worried about him to focus on anything anyway.” Rita smiled, finishing up the last drink. “Is that because you love him?” Mikumon asked, Rita’s cheeks lit up. “T-that's… nothing for you to worry about…” Rita attempted to smile back, only to be met with a puffed up face. “Rita, do you think I wouldn’t have noticed? Tentomon figured it out as well ya know…” Mikumon pointed out, Rita just planted her face in her hands and groaned. “He said he won’t say anything to Izzy, but we all agree that you should tell him.” Mikumon spoke as she patted Rita’s arm. “Wait, we all?” Rita froze, dropping her arms. “We have all had a lot of time in Izzy’s server to discuss this.” Mikumon smiled innocently. Rita just threw her head back in frustration. “Of course you have… listen, now isn’t the time for me to tell him, even without his feelings for Mimi in the equation. Right now this issue with the infected Digimon comes first, I can’t have Izzy being distracted because of me. He would just worry about me…” Rita sighed, carrying the tray of drinks back to Izzy’s office. “I see… I’m sorry Rita…” Mikumon looked sad, as though she had hurt Rita, even if that wasn’t why Rita was down. “Don’t be sorry, thank you for looking out for me… I really love you.” Rita smiled gently, so grateful to have such a loving partner. “I love you the most Rita!” Mikumon smiled widely as she jumped up on Rita’s back to nuzzle her partner. “Come on now, you are going to make me spill.” Rita chuckled. “Hehe,” Mikumon laughed, the happy look on Mikumon’s face gave Rita the energy she needed. Partners really were a wonderful thing. 

When Rita returned she was surprised to see that TK had left, not only that, he had taken Patamon with him. “Why did you let him take Patamon?” Rita asked, handing Joe some tea. “It’s not like I didn’t try to stop him… I’m worried honestly…” Joe sighed. “What happened?” Rita inquired, sitting down herself. “He was acting weird… talking about what would we do if our Digimon became infected, then something about a mass infection. Patamon then wouldn’t back down and insisted on going home with TK.” Joe explained. “I see… I suppose it can’t be helped, we are all worried, not to mention getting impatient. Still… Izzy’s working so hard for everyone, I just hope we can clear this up soon.” Rita’s sad smile as she gazed at Izzy even made Joe feel disheartened. “You really care about Izzy, don’t you?” Joe smiled, catching Rita’s attention. Her face again had turned bright red. “T-that’s I mean… of course I care, were friends!” Rita stammered, Joe chuckled slightly, she was rather easy to read. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything if Izzy hasn’t noticed. He can be rather slow when it comes to understanding people’s feelings, so… please hang in there.” Rita covered her cheeks, only responding with a nod. At this rate even Izzy would figure it out soon. 

After another few hours Izzy had awoken to find that TK had taken Patamon home. Rita had never seen Izzy so mad before. Joe assured him that it was for the best before taking leave himself. Again frustrated, Izzy returned to the computer. “I’m sorry I couldn’t stop it…” Rita spoke, feeling guilty. “It’s not your fault if you weren’t in the room. Besides, they should know better.” Izzy retorted, clearly in need of more sleep. “I suppose, though TK doesn’t seem like the type of person who would do that without thinking of the consequences like Mimi…” Rita observed, pulling out the school work she had missed. “Normally he isn’t…” Izzy responded, still agitated. “Then… maybe he had a reason to take Patamon from the others…” Rita didn’t like the idea forming in her mind. “What do you mean?” Izzy asked, peering from behind his large computer screen. “If it were me… and I found out that Mikumon was infected, I would separate her from the other Digimon so they wouldn't suffer the same fate…” Izzy’s eyes widened. “You think that is what TK did?” Rita just hugged the cushion she had brought from home. “I don’t know, I am just saying what I would do… he said something to Joe about a mass infection and what would we do if one of ours became infected… I’m scared… I hope I am wrong, I really do!” Rita felt her eyes sting with tears once again. “If something like that did happen then TK would tell me, I don’t think he would try to handle this on his own, do you?” Izzy asked. “No… I suppose your right.” Rita replied, however, inside she couldn’t help but wonder if TK was as scared as she was right now. “I told Joe to ask the others on what they want to do, since all the Digimon keep complaining about how they want to be with their partners.” Izzy mentioned as he continued to type away. “Yeah I know… I just wonder what the right thing is…” Rita reached out to pet Mikumon who was sound asleep beside her. “We don’t know, and that’s why I want to know what everyone wants.” Izzy retorted. He really was trying to be considerate of the others, even in this emergency state. “You really are kind…” Rita smiled, causing Izzy’s cheeks to heat up. “I-it’s not a matter of being kind…” “Embarrassed?” Rita chuckled, only getting a groaning noise in response. He really was adorable. 

The following day the rest of the DigiDestined met up after school and decided to pick up their partner Digimon for a break. Izzy agreed, even though he was clearly still worried if this was the right thing to do or not. “Rita are you staying overnight again? You have been missing a lot of school…” Mimi was clearly becoming worried. “Don’t worry about me, I told you that as long as Izzy is staying here then someone has to keep an eye out for him. We will catch up on school work, I’ve been doing all the assignments you gathered for me while here.” Rita smiled, hoping she wasn’t causing trouble for Mimi. “Yeah, you really just want to be close to Izzy though, isn’t that right?” Mimi teased with a smirk, Rita blushing like mad. “T-that’s not…” Rita stammered, Mimi however just laughed. “So how far have you gotten?” Mimi winked. “It’s not like that!” Rita cried out. Mimi, Palmon and Mikumon just laughed. “Well try to take it easy, if you need anything don’t hesitate to call me. Also… thanks for looking out for Izzy, I know it’s selfish but it really takes a load off of all of us.” Mimi smiled warmly. “I’m happy to do it,” Rita smiled back. “Oh I am well aware of that!” Mimi again teased, Rita again bright red. “I’ll see you later then…” Rita spoke, waving Mimi out the door. “Take care!” Mimi waved back as she and Palmon left the office. It was just Rita and Izzy with their partners now. “Izzy, you should take a break…” Rita spoke, walking up to his desk. “I lost time because you made me sleep five hours last night…” Izzy responded, eyes still glued to his screen. “You make it sound like a bad thing…” Rita sighed, looking over to Tentomon. “I’m impressed you got him to sleep at all.” Tentomon pointed out, making Rita’s lips curve into a smile. “Guess I’m persuasive,” Rita chuckled. “I think it’s more that Izzy doesn’t like saying no to you.” Tentomon stated, Izzy’s face forming a noticeable blush. “R-really?” Rita asked, turning to Izzy who faced away in attempt to hide his red cheeks. “This is again why I keep saying that you would make the perfect wife for Izzy.” Tentomon admitted, causing Izzy to stand up. “T-Tentomon you can’t just say things like that!” Izzy cried out. Rita ended up covering her cheeks with her palms. “Why not? Rita would be ha-” Rita cut off Tentomon by grabbing his mouth and pulling him away. “L-let’s just let Izzy focus with work, sorry about that!” Rita panicked as she dragged Tentomon away, leaving Izzy even more flustered and confused. 

“What was that?” Rita cried out as she had taken Tentomon and Mikumon out into the hall. “I just spoke the truth,” Tentomon reasoned. “T-that's… truth or not you guys promised you wouldn’t say anything!” Rita lectured. “B-but Rita…” Mikumon mumbled, looking down at the ground. “I’ll tell you again, that Izzy would be thrilled to hear how you felt!” Tentomon stated, only receiving a sigh from Rita. “Thrilled or not it would be for different reasons… right now isn’t the time, and… I don’t think he feels the same way about me.” Rita exhaled, sinking to the floor. “I believe you are wrong about that,” Tentomon assured, causing Rita’s heart to race. “S-still… now just isn’t the time, do you guys not understand how serious the situation is? We are desperate not to lose you!” Rita argued, pulling both Mikumon and Tentomon into her arms. “I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to either of you so please, for now let Izzy do what he has to.” Tears fell from Rita’s eyes, Mikumon held on tightly as Tentomon softly patted her back. “Rita, can I ask you a favour?” Tentomon requested, Rita pulling back to face him. “What is it?” She questioned, wiping the tears from her eyes. “If anything does happen to us, please promise me you will stay by Izzy’s side…” Rita’s eyes widened as tears continued to fall. “Tentomon…” Rita sniffled, reaching out to hold his claw. “Izzy will likely shut himself out and dig even further in how to solve this to hide how sad he would be. If I’m not around anymore to look after him, then even more so do I need you to stay with him, to love him just as you do now.” Tentomon always wanted what was best for Izzy, for him to be happy. Even if the worst was to happen, if Rita was with him then in time he would heal. “I will… I promise” Rita cried as she wrapped her arms around the bug Digimon’s shell. “Thank you Rita…” Tentomon spoke, knowing he could leave Izzy in her hands. 

The following day the news was in an uproar over a message that was appearing on everyone’s monitors. The Digital World was going to do something and Izzy was stressing even more over it. He was completely absorbed in his work, Rita felt more helpless by the day. “Rita maybe you should get some fresh air?” Mikumon suggested. Rita looked almost as drained as Izzy did at this point. “At least go get us some treats!” Agumon requested. “Oh ice cream would be great!” Gomamon cheered. “Yes please!” Patamon said as he flew around. “I guess I could… promise you will behave while I am gone and keep an eye on Izzy for me!” Rita spoke with a serious tone. “You can count on us!” Gatomon smiled. “Don’t worry Rita, you could use the sun!” Palmon informed, this dark room couldn't be good for her health at this point. “Mikumon I’m counting on you!” Rita waved as she exited the room. 

The sun felt incredible on Rita’s skin. She hadn’t realized how much time she had spent cooped up in Izzy’s office. She was even sleeping there now, well, once she made sure Izzy had fallen asleep first. She couldn’t help but wonder after all of this time she had spent in such close quarters with him, was their relationship developing at all? Izzy rarely talked unless she started a conversation, nor did he look up often. At night though, there was always that awkward tension when Rita forced him to sleep. He always got slightly embarrassed, although that was his personality in general. Another loud sigh escaped Rita as she remembered the saying. Those in love sigh more often. She really had been sighing a lot lately, though was it due to love or this current Digimon problem? Getting the ice cream, she remembered when she had first come here with Izzy. That time she had even done something so bold as to actually lick his cheek. Even though it was to make a point to some jerks, it was still hard to believe she did something like that. How many times now had she fought back the urge to kiss him? It was so frustrating and mortifying, not to mention she couldn’t even go to Mimi for advice because of his feelings for her. All she had to talk to were the Digimon and they couldn’t grasp the situation. She thought of talking to Sora about it since she knew Izzy so well, still… she was close friends with Mimi and was always putting her worries aside to help with everyone else. Rita couldn’t burden her more. All these thoughts kept swirling around in Rita’s head, it took her a few seconds to realize that when she had returned to Izzy’s office that the Digimon were all gone. 

“Uh Izzy…” Rita spoke, approaching his desk. “Oh, welcome back… what’s wrong?” Izzy questioned, the look on Rita’s face clearly showed something happened. “Where are the Digimon?” Rita asked, Izzy dropped his drink as he stood up looking around. “W-what?” Izzy cried out. “Don’t tell me they snuck out when I went to go get them ice cream?” Rita groaned as she placed the large bag down on Izzy’s desk. “Dammit… we better go search for them!” Izzy stated as he stumbled forward. Rita caught him in her arms, holding him up as she embraced him. “As much as I would like to see you get some fresh air, I doubt you would be able to go far in your condition… leave them to me, I will find them for you, I promise!” Rita stated, tightly clutching Izzy’s shirt as she nuzzled into his neck. “R-Rita…” Izzy blushed, this connection made his stomach flutter and heart race and yet, he could feel her trembling. She had been so worried about him all this time, watched over him and tended to him constantly. She must have been exhausted herself, but even now she was thinking about him over herself. Izzy embraced her as well, prepared to hold her as close to him as he could until she finally stopped trembling. “Thank you…” Izzy whispered, Rita felt tears form in her eyes again. “C-can we just stay like this… for a little longer?” Rita felt her whole body heat up with the request, yet she honestly needed this right now. “Of course…” Izzy spoke back; this warm embrace was doing wonders for him as well, as though it was charging his spirit. “I will find them; you can count on me, okay?” Rita whispered, her voice rang in his ears. “I know, be safe…” Izzy responded, reluctant to let go. He knew though that time was of the essence and Rita knew that as well.

Rushing outside, Rita wondered where they could have managed to get to. She calculated that they wouldn’t have gone too far and most would have known to keep hidden as much as possible. If she were them she would have gone to a place which was familiar, somewhere with special meaning… under that bridge! It was a meeting spot for the DigiDestined, so maybe the Digimon went there as well for whatever reason. As Rita continued to run she found Mikumon and Tentomon walking back towards her. “Oh Rita!” Mikumon spoke, suddenly fear taking over when Rita came to a stop in front of them, her eyes furious. “Oh hello Rita, what brings you out here?” Tentomon asked. “You idiots! I told you to behave and you all take off? Do you have any idea how worried we were? What on earth were you thinking?” She yelled, Mikumon and Tentomon cowered as a result. “We’re sorry, we just had something important to talk about…” Mikumon replied, looking at Rita with her big round eyes. “Then where are the others?” Rita questioned, still appearing rather furious. “Everyone decided that they wanted to be with their partners for now… please don’t be mad. Mikumon and I were going to return to you and Izzy right away.” Tentomon pleaded, only resulting in Rita sighing again. “Look, with everything going on you need to be more careful, we are worried like crazy here…” Rita spoke as she knelt down to pat both Digimon. “Sorry… we umm…” Mikumon muttered. “Mikumon,” Tentomon spoke as if stopping Mikumon from saying something. “Let’s just go back, Izzy doesn’t need any more stress right now.” Rita smiled softly, in the end she couldn’t stay angry at them for long. “Yes, let’s!” Tentomon agreed as the three hurried back to Izzy’s office. 

Not surprisingly, the two Digimon were met with another lecture by Izzy who couldn’t believe Tentomon would do something so irresponsible. Eventually he managed to calm down and return to work. “Rita, could we go off somewhere together?” Mikumon asked, looking up as she sat on the couch next to her. “What do you mean?” Rita questioned, wondering what was with the sudden request. “I just… wanted to spend some time with you, is that not okay?” Rita felt her heart ache, Mikumon seemed sad and she didn’t know why. “Of course it is! Izzy, would it be okay if Mikumon and I went out for a bit?” Rita asked, receiving a surprised look back from Izzy. “Of course, I told you before you don’t have to stay with me all the time…” Rita smiled softly as she looked down at her partner. “Okay, we will be back later. Tentomon I leave him to you then.” Rita waved as she grabbed her purse and headed to the door. “Take care,” Tentomon spoke as he showed the two out, wondering… was Mikumon going to tell Rita?

Rita and Mikumon decided to get something to eat before walking along the beach. “So Mikumon, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” Rita smiled softly as she took a seat, staring out at the sea. “How could you tell?” Mikumon questioned, she had tried her best to seem upbeat today. “Oh come now, you know I know you better than anyone, just like how you know me.” Rita chuckled as she rubbed one of Mikumon’s leaf like ears. “I want to tell you… but I don’t want you to be sad, and I know you will be and I can’t handle that…” Tears were forming in Mikumon’s eyes as Rita instantly pulled her into her arms. “Please… tell me…” Rita spoke, scared to know what the Digimon were keeping from them. “Okay… just listen all the way through, and try not to panic.” Mikumon’s serious tone combined with those fearful words, somewhere in Rita’s heart, she knew, she already knew. “I’m infected… so is Tentomon, Patamon and some of the others already… we were told that if this isn’t solved before Meicoomon appears again then the Digital World is going to have to reboot.” Mikumon explained, Rita just clutched her chest, unable to make a sound. “If it comes to that, we will be able to save your world, everything should go back to normal… except… except w-we will be rebooted as well a-and lose our… our m-memories of you…” Mikumon tried to fight back the tears that were now falling, looking up at Rita, it appeared she could no longer hold hers back either. “Mikumon!” Rita cried as she pulled her partner into her arms as they both wept. “T-this can’t be happening…” Rita continued to cry as she clung to Mikumon with her very being. “I’m so sorry Rita… I know… I know how much this will hurt you and I couldn’t keep it a secret like we planned, I just… I didn’t know what else to do!” Mikumon bawled as she clutched Rita’s shirt in her claws. “This is too much… it’s not fair, not right!” Rita sobbed, she felt sick, this pain was worse than anything she had ever experienced or could have imagined. 

The two continued to cry down by the water, not caring if anyone was looking and wondering what was possibly going on. The thought of their Digimon partners not remembering them, everything they had been through together. It was sheer and utter pain. “Mikumon… we should tell Izzy,” Rita finally spoke, bringing her face up to meet her partners. “But Tentomon said…” Mikumon muttered back through the tears. “I get that it’s more added stress to him, but I’m sure he can come up with something to solve it, I just know it!” Rita cried, gripping Mikumon’s paws. “Tentomon has faith in Izzy and I know you do as well, so trust him, let him solve this before it’s too late…” Mikumon spoke, mustering the strength to smile. “Right… should we go back then?” Rita questioned, not sure if Izzy would be able to tell if something was wrong. Hell, she wasn’t sure she wouldn't break down crying again. “Well if you went back home then Mimi would figure it out right away and if that was the case she would hound over Izzy for him to do something…” Mikumon figured, hitting the mark exactly. “True… I wouldn't mind talking to Tentomon as well about this.” Rita sighed as she stood up, wiping her tears away with the small towel she carried in her purse. “I know how hard it is, but you have to be strong around Izzy right now, okay?” Mikumon insisted, trying her best to stay positive. “You’re right, I believe in Izzy, everything will be alright.” Rita forced a smile, picking up her partner in her arms. What she could do for now was be there for Izzy if he needed her.

Returning back to the office, Rita kindly called Tentomon outside to have a chat. “Do you really think this is the best way to go about it?” Rita questioned, looking at Tentomon with sad eyes. “If we tell him then it will divide his focus… if it comes to the time when the reboot is necessary I will consult with him about it.” Tentomon reasoned. “Still… I feel like he would be able to do something about it.” Rita sighed, laying back against the wall. “For now let us see how things go… what I asked of you before though… even more so now, if I forget about Izzy, please take care of him for me…” Tentomon spoke, the sadness in his tone made the tears return to Rita’s eyes, pulling Tentomon into her arms as she again cried. “Ah, please don’t cry…” Tentomon panicked, finding himself start to tear up. “I don’t want this, I don’t want you and Mikumon to forget about us… this just can’t happen!” Rita cried, her warm tears falling on Tentomon’s shell. “We don’t either… but to protect you and your world then we will.” Tentomon spoke, as painful as it was for all of them, their partners would have to live the rest of their lives with those memories, all alone. “Rita… I believe in Izzy and I know you do too.” Rita pulled back to look at Tentomon as she rubbed her eyes. “I do, I will follow your lead for now then…” Rita tried to smiled, Tentomon wanted nothing more for Izzy and her to be happy. He knew it time Izzy would realize his true feelings, that the one he really loved was Rita. For now, he would just watch over them both, as long as he could.


	10. Chapter 10

Izzy was a little surprised that Rita didn’t force him to sleep that night. Instead she turned in earlier than normal herself. As focused as he was on the current situation, he couldn't help but notice that Rita seemed off. He may have been overthinking it, but he felt as though she was avoiding him in some way. Returning from the washroom, Izzy walked over to Rita whom was sound asleep. She held Mikumon close in her arms, almost like she was scared to let go. “What is it Izzy?” Tentomon questioned walking over to see what Izzy was doing. “It’s nothing…” Izzy spoke, his eyes focused on Rita’s sleeping figure. “Are you worried about her?” Tentomon asked, succeeding in gaining Izzy’s attention. “I-it's not so much worry, she just seems to be acting a bit different…” Izzy observed, Tentomon sighed, thinking to himself. ‘You notice that, but not how she feels about you?’ “Are you sure you aren’t in love with her?” Tentomon inquired, getting straight to the point. Izzy’s face shone red as he crouched down on his knees. “Izzy?” Tentomon wondered if like Rita said, he should have stayed out of it. “I don’t know…” Izzy sighed, grabbing his head in frustration. “If you aren’t sure, doesn’t that mean you do? I mean, I don’t understand human emotions much better then you. Yet even I can see that the two of you have a special bond, much more so than you do with Mimi. So, let me put it this way. When you close your eyes, whose face comes to mind first? Whom do you find is on your mind the most? If you were to receive some sort of good news, which girl would you want to share that with first?” Tentomon already knew the answer, he just needed Izzy to realize it for himself. Izzy looked over to Rita once again, there was no doubt in his mind that Rita was the answer to all of Tentomon’s questions. He knew he was falling for Rita more and more, yet it only took Tentomon pointing it out for it to fully hit him. More than anyone else in the world, Rita was the one he wanted to be with. “Tentomon… thank you…” Izzy blushed slightly as he turned to face his partner. “Don’t thank me, just tell her!” Tentomon lectured. “I-it’s not the right time, for Rita’s sake, no, for everyone’s sake, I have to figure this out…” Izzy stated, getting up and returning to his computer. Tentomon watched as his partner typed away, his gaze moving to the girl sleeping on the couch. ‘Just wait for him a little longer Rita.’ Tentomon thought, hoping with all his heart he would be around to see what the future held for the two.

The next morning Rita decided to return to class. As much as she wanted to stay with Izzy, Tentomon assured her that he would keep close watch over him until lunch when Rita would return. “I’m surprised that you decided to come to class this morning, everyone has been really worried about you, Izzy as well.” Mimi smiled, happy to see her cousin again. “Yeah, well… I felt like I should give Tentomon some alone time with Izzy, I have been there constantly lately.” Rita spoke, her eyes however were looking off into the distance. Mimi could tell that even if Rita was present, her heart and mind were still wherever Izzy was. “You’re going back at lunch then?” Mimi questioned. She really did want Rita to stay with her, after all she barely got any time with her lately. “Yeah, I just can’t leave him alone… not now.” Rita sighed, knowing what was likely to come. She couldn’t talk to anyone about it, not Izzy, nor even Mimi. This pain was something she would have to bare alone for the time being. Even with Mikumon, she didn’t want her to worry more then she already was. “I’m sure everything will work out; Izzy has never let us down before.” Mimi smiled, Rita was always able to feel better just by looking at Mimi’s pure smile. “Yeah, your right!” Rita grinned back, she believed in Izzy, in the end she would bet everything on him. 

“I see… this is what caused the PC errors. The root of the distortion…” Izzy spoke, his eyes once again glued to the computer. “Did you find anything out?” Tentomon questioned, hovering in the air over his partner. “Our world’s digital devices work in binary, or in other systems that are convertible to binary. But it was all overwritten into an unknown numerical system. So PCs all over the world are getting bugs. It’s not binary, decimal, or even hexadecimal. Digital data does not use this numeration system, that’s the distortion! That’s why you can see it with the goggles. I could have made a plan if I had realized sooner…No… if I don’t know the base of the numbers… If I compare the converted data with the originals… but processing the converted data might make my PC unusable. And even if I know the base, how do I change it back? Even my mechanically installed OS system got overwritten! I can’t do anything… I’m ignorant and incompetent. It’s no use staring at this crap!” Tentomon watched as his partner broke down over his computer. He watched in sadness, seeing Izzy suffering so much was unbearable to him. “Umm Izzy, is not knowing something that shameful?” Tentomon questioned as Izzy fell to the floor, facing him. “Of course it is, I can’t do anything if I’m ignorant.” Izzy responded. “And so you give it your all to achieve, isn’t that what you’ve been doing? Izzy, you probably haven’t noticed, but when you’re doing research or learning something new, you truly look happy, like you’re enjoying it. But… you’re different now. It seems painful.” Tentomon observed. “Of course it is, think of our situation! Sorry…” Izzy spoke back, feeling guilty for lashing out at his partner. “I don’t want to see you like this, neither does Rita… It’s painful for us.” Tentomon admitted, making Izzy realize what pain he had been causing them. “Tentomon…” “There’s only one thing to do…” Tentomon voiced, knowing now was the time to inform Izzy about the reboot. 

“A reboot?” Izzy questioned, “we can’t do that on our own, but if that’s what it comes to, we Digimon are already prepared.” Tentomon explained, the look on Izzy’s face was clearly him processing this new information. “A reboot will fix all the issues? If there’s hope, then I can make a plan! Hurry, hurry, hurry! I have to do it!” Izzy stated, returning to pounding away at the keyboard. Tentomon felt relief, indeed there was still a chance. Always reaching for hope and chances, franticly learning, that was his Izzy. There wasn’t much time, Tentomon could feel the infection spreading in his own body. As much as he hated putting all of this pressure on Izzy, everyone and him most of all knew that Izzy was the only one who could fix things for good. 

Rita had returned to Izzy’s office to find out that Tentomon had told Izzy about the reboot and that he was currently setting up a new plan. “What made you decide to tell him?” Rita asked as she, Tentomon and Mikumon sat together on the couch. “I just couldn’t watch him like that anymore… seeing and hearing him so down on himself was just so…” Tentomon spoke, he then felt Rita place her hand on his back, looking to her gentle smile. “It’s painful to watch someone you love suffer…” Her soft smile was proof of her understanding. Like Tentomon, Rita must have also been having a hard time, seeing Izzy like this. “Yes, exactly… Rita, thank you for staying by his side.” Tentomon spoke with gratitude, slightly surprising Rita. “You don’t have to thank me for that… I- I want to be by his side…” Rita blushed, Tentomon felt happy from the bottom of his heart. “Forever?” He added, making Rita’s blush darken as she looked down, only responding with a nod. “Promise me when this is all over that you will tell him that!” Tentomon pleaded, Rita covering her face. “I… it’s not that easy Tentomon.” “Promise me!” Tentomon’s tone was serious, bringing his face as close to Rita’s as he could, she couldn’t help but be persuaded. “I promise…” Rita felt her whole body heat up. Was she seriously going to confess? “I’m really happy, thank you…” Tentomon then decided to go check back up with Izzy and let Rita process things more in her head. 

“This is!” Izzy spoke, jumping up. “What is it Izzy?” Rita called out as she rushed over to his desk. “The distortion is… Meicoomon…” Izzy spoke, the fear in his voice alerted Rita to the fact he must have not finished what he was working on. “Oh no…” Rita felt her stomach knot. If what Mikumon told her before was true, then… the next time Meicoomon appeared the reboot… it would start. “Rita, I’m sending out an email to everyone to let them know the location, we will let them handle things for now.” Izzy informed, his fingers typing faster than ever. “Izzy will do it!” Mikumon smiled, looking up at Rita. “Right…” Rita smiled back, picking up her partner and holding her in her arms. “This base change… I can’t compare it to the other appearances of infected Digimon. Why did it occur when Meicoomon appeared? No way!” Izzy cried out. “What is it?” Rita asked as her and Tentomon faced the screen. “The infected Digimon issue and the distortions all started when Meiko and Meicoomon came to Tokyo.” Izzy realized, Rita’s eyes completely widened. “No way… then…” Rita muttered, it hitting her all of a sudden. “So you mean?” Tentomon pondered. “Meicoomon didn’t get infected… rather it was all caused by…” Izzy spoke. “Meicoomon…” Rita, Tentomon and Mikumon all spoke in unison. “No way!” Tentomon cried out. “I’m not sure of this, but it all makes sense if you assume that.” Izzy concluded. “I’m going Izzy!” Tentomon voiced. “Me too!” Mikumon agreed. “Wait! There is just a bit more, transferring this data to my laptop…” Izzy was clearly as impatient as Rita felt. “Okay done! Tentomon, Rita, Mikumon, let’s go!” Izzy called out as he gathered his things. “Right… Mikumon…” Rita replied, looking down at Mikumon with worried eyes. “It will be okay Rita!” Mikumon tried to sound as confidant as she could. Izzy had figured out the cause, so now it was up to them to stop this.

Racing to the venue, Rita felt her heart speed up when she saw all the commotion and the DigiDestined standing there watching. “Everyone!” Izzy called out. “Izzy!” Matt called back. “Where is Meiccomon?” Izzy asked, “getting pushed back into the distortion!” Tai answered. Watching the Digimon fight, something suddenly took over Birdramon. “Birdramon!” Sora cried out, the infection had now completely taken over her partner. “Garurumon!” Matt yelled. “Togemon!” Mimi too cried out. “Everyone’s getting infected…” Joe observed, saying what the others already knew. The sight was unbearable to witness, watching your partner Digimon turn and fight its own friends was too cruel for words. Rita held onto Mikumon even tighter. “Rita, I have to go…” Mikumon spoke, breaking from Rita’s arms. “B-but Mikumon… you can’t…” Rita felt tears form, instantly falling. “They’re our friends Rita… I can’t watch them suffer, I know neither can you…” Mikumon responded. Rita clutched her body as she nodded, tears staining the concrete. Mikumon nodded back as Rita’s Digivice activated, Digivolving Mikumon into Tsukimon. “Wait Tsukimon!” Izzy called out, however she wouldn’t stay back, not now, not when her friends needed her. “Rita…” Mimi spoke as she reached out to take Rita’s hand. “This is…” Izzy spoke, Rita instantly rushed to his side, seeing that the computer was now counting down. “What are those numbers?” Joe asked. “No way… is this a reboot?” Izzy shuttered. “No… not yet!” Rita cried, clutching to Izzy’s back. “Reboot?” Mimi and the others questioned, unaware of what that meant. “What the heck’s a reboot?” TK cried out. “Why didn’t Gatomon and them say anything?” Kari asked. Rita clutched Izzy’s arm as she rested her forehead on his shoulder. Feeling Rita break down against him, Izzy knew he had to explain everything, there was no way Rita could get through it… seeing the looks on everyone’s faces as he explained what was currently happening and what was going to happen… why? Why was this occurring?

“Even the Digimon’s memories will be lost?” Sora questioned. “So… then they will forget us too?” Joe concluded. “Yeah…” Tai spoke, it appeared as though Agumon had already told him. “No way… I don’t want that!” Mimi cried out, seeing as though Rita couldn’t even look up at her right now, she knew this was in fact the truth. “I made a counterplan…” Izzy confessed, calling up his program. “I’m going too!” Tentomon stated. “Wait, I can get everyone’s backup data if you go inside that!” Izzy informed as a glowing green cube appeared in the distortion. “Izzy…” Rita looked up to see what was happening for herself. “Backup data?” Tai questioned. “If I have the original data, even if they’re infected, I should be able to filter out the unusual data. Tentomon, cooperate with MetalGreymon and Tsukimon to put everyone in the backup field.” Izzy explained. “Roger that!” Tentomon complied, Digivolving into Kabuterimon. The DigiDestined could only watch as the three Digimon attempted to force the other infected Digimon into the backup field, however Meiccomon kept preventing it. Watching the other Digimon gang up and attack, there was no way that the three of them could handle the situation, at least not at their level. “Izzy, you have to Digivolve Kabuterimon!” Rita cried out, Izzy knew she was right, Tentomon was only at a Champion level at the moment, it wasn’t enough. Before Izzy could, Kabuterimon withstood a ton of blasts, reverting him back into Tentomon. “Tentomon!” Izzy called out. “Tentomon! Enter the backup field, even if you’re alone!” Izzy insisted. “I can’t…” Tentomon responded. Rita’s clutch on Izzy’s shirt only grew tighter. “Tentomon!” Izzy yelled back. “I can’t… MetalGreymon, Tsukimon, and all of them… they are risking their lives to stop Meicoomon. There is no way I can go into the field alone and just watch.” Tentomon reasoned, the tears in Rita’s eyes managed to stop for a second. “Tentomon…” Izzy and Rita both spoke. “Izzy… you know I didn’t know anything about you when I first met you, right? Getting to know you more and more… was really, really fun. Knowing nothing is just a chance to learn more things, right?” Rita felt the tears resume falling, as she felt Izzy’s body shaking. “Tentomon…” The sadness in his voice, Rita’s whole body ached. “Please keep learning more new things, and enjoying it. Also, pay attention to what is around you more…” “Tentomon!” Izzy called out. “Forgive me for not telling you before… and Rita…” Rita looked up with tears in her eyes at the sound of her name. “Please remember your promise, look after him for me…” Tears fell from Rita’s eyes faster than before. “I- I will…” She cried, embracing Izzy from behind. Izzy didn’t understand, what did Tentomon mean by that? Why did this have to happen...? “Izzy… farewell…” Tentomon spoke as he took flight once more. Izzy watched in awe as Tentomon Digivolved to MegaKabuterimon, grabbing hold of Meicoomon, swearing he wouldn’t let her go. At this moment, MetalGreymon had Digivolved into his Mega form of WarGreymon before the infection completely took over. “Rita… it will be okay…” Tsukimon’s voice spoke before she too was fully infected. “Tsukimon…” Rita cried into Izzy’s shirt, the warmth of the boy she loved being the only thing keeping her from breaking down completely. MegaKabuterimon watched that change, Rita must be heartbroken right now. Still, she had Izzy and he knew he had to do this… ‘Everyone…’ taking that strength inside his heart he Digivolved into Mega, HerculesKabuterimon. 

With just over a minute left, HerculesKabuterimon used every bit of his will and strength to try to gather the other Digimon together. No matter how hard the fight they were putting up, he wouldn’t give in! Finally, being pushed back out of the distortion, the DigiDestined could only watch as the infected forms of their beloved partners emerged. This was torture to Rita, seeing Tsukimon emitting a dark light. But like Izzy, she believed in his partner as well. “Please…” Rita whispered into Izzy’s shirt, only him being able to hear. HerculesKabuterimon was then surrounded, still, he couldn’t give up. ‘Is it really okay? To part ways in this form… everyone will be sad… so open your eyes!’ Fighting them off, he then saw a glint of recognition in their eyes. All grouped together in an embrace, they pushed Meicoomon back through the distortion as one. ‘Thank you…’ he thought before the end. The timer on Izzy’s laptop counting down the last seconds until the reboot. HerculesKabuterimon’s shell still showing through the distortion before vanishing along with the opened gate… and just like that… they had run out of time. Through the tears Rita looked at Izzy’s screen, the words ‘Reboot Complete’ stabbed her heart like a knife. Crawling over to Mimi, Rita embraced her as they both fell apart. They were so close, so why? Why did it have to come to this? The sound of crying filled the air, that was, until Izzy stated it wasn’t over. Rita didn’t want to leave Mimi, not now, not when she was hurting like this, like how they all were. In Rita’s heart though, that promise to Tentomon stood, whether he remembered it in the end or not. Rita rubbed her eyes before embracing Mimi once more. Mimi only able to watch as Rita followed Izzy back to his office. Hoping with all her heart that Rita would be okay. 

The walk back to Izzy’s office was slow and silent, neither one making a sound other than their feet hitting the ground. The darkness of the room combined with the cool air made Rita’s body feel slightly less pained. Izzy went back to his computer, the sound of him typing had in time become comforting to Rita. Looking down and expecting to see Mikumon smiling back up at her. No… that was a pain she would never get over… she wanted to see her, even if she didn’t remember her… she needed to see her one more time. It was the loneliest Rita had ever felt, like a part of her heart and soul was missing. Had she ever appreciated just how much Mikumon’s presence meant to her? Just her being there was so much more then she had ever deserved… and now, was she really gone… forever? Everyone must be feeling this pain as much as she was, Izzy too… and that hurt just as much. “Izzy…” Rita spoke, the sadness in her voice very present. “Y-yeah, what is it?” Izzy asked, his name finally being what broke this sad silence. “S-sit with me… please…” Rita’s voice sounded broken, without a second thought he rushed over to the couch. Her eyes looked glazed over, like she had closed off her heart. Even in the slightly darkened room, Izzy could see the redness of her eyes, the streaks where former tears had fallen. Sitting down, Izzy felt guilty… if only he had learned about the reboot sooner. Rita’s hand then moved closer to Izzy’s, his eyes instantly moved to glance at her face, however there was no change. “Please… hold my hand…” Rita spoke as if in a trance. Izzy knew how heartbroken he was right now, for Rita though… it must have been so much worse, after all… it wasn’t just her sadness she was feeling, but everyone’s. 

Taking hold of her hand, he felt her weak grip accept his. “Rita…I…” Izzy didn’t know what to say, how he could apologize to her? Looking at her eyes again, he clenched seeing the tears were just streaming down as she sat there completely still. “R-Rita I… forgive me…” Izzy felt tears form in his eyes as well, suddenly then his eyes opened wide when Rita faced him with a devastated look. “It… it’s my fault!’ She cried, clutching his shirt. “How is this your fault?” Izzy was flabbergasted, had her obvious depression warped her mind? “Because, I knew… I knew about the reboot from yesterday… if… if I had told you and gone against what Tentomon said then… maybe, maybe we could have saved them!” Rita wept, her grip on Izzy’s shirt suddenly released. “It’s my fault… everyone… I… I’m so sorry!” She continued to cry. Izzy didn't know what else to do but fully embrace her. Rita’s tears suddenly stopped when she felt herself completely enveloped in Izzy’s arms. “It’s not your fault… If I had realized everything sooner…” Izzy trembled, holding Rita as close to him as possible. “No! You have nothing to be sorry for, you tried more than anyone… if I just followed my instincts and told you then… please, blame me, not yourself… please!” Rita cried, nuzzling deeper into Izzy’s chest. “Idiot… no one would ever blame you… besides if Tentomon told you not to… it was because he was worried about my focus… that makes it my fault…” Izzy confessed. “Stupid! Nothing is your fault! Blaming yourself just hurts me more so please… stop…” Rita bawled, her arms locked tight around Izzy’s back. “Rita…” Seeing Rita this sad made him feel sick, helpless… completely useless. “I just… I miss them so much! I just want to see her again!” Rita wept. Izzy wanted the same, everyone must have. “I won’t give up… I promise I will make it so you can see her again… I’m sorry… I can’t do more…” Izzy continued to tremble as Rita looked up, cupping his face. “I know you will… for now… please just hold me… like this, please…” Rita tried to force a smile before planting her face into Izzy’s neck. “Yeah… of course…” Izzy held her back, wondering how it was possible to be so heartbroken yet happy at the same time. He wouldn’t give up, he wanted to see Tentomon again, everyone again. He also needed to know, what was this promise Rita and Tentomon spoke of? 

Once Rita calmed down, Izzy asked her what she planned to do. “Are you going to go home?” Izzy questioned, still seated on the couch next to Rita. “I can’t… I feel like if I am with Mimi right now, we will both just spend the night crying. If I see her cry then I won’t be able to hold back and the same goes for her…” Rita admitted, clutching her knees. “I see…” Izzy spoke, he may not have understood female emotions, however he did know that both Rita and Mimi cried easily. “You should go home and actually get a proper rest, your parents must really be worried… and… there isn’t much you could do right now, it’s not like there is a time limit anymore…” Rita voiced, her words just reminding her again that it was now over. “I can’t just leave you here… you need a proper rest as well, I mean you’ve been looking after me all this time…” Izzy blushed, he never had thanked her properly for all she had done. “I don’t think I will be able to sleep… if I’m being honest, I don’t want to be alone right now… it’s too painful.” Rita felt tears sting her eyes again. Izzy just couldn't stand seeing her like this, so there was only one option he could think of. “T-then come over to my place…” he blushed, Rita shot her head up with cheeks as red as Izzy’s. “R-really?” She managed to make out, her heart feeling like it was trying to leap from her chest. “You can’t stay here alone, it will only make things harder and if you don’t want to go home then… you should come with me or I will just worry more!” Izzy insisted, his heart racing at his request. “Okay… thanks…” Rita flushed as she wiped the tears away. “I’ll just call my mom and let her know what is going on. You should gather your things then…” Izzy was a little frantic, he hoped his parents would be okay with this. Although considering the situation and how Rita had been staying overnight here, he was sure they would be. 

Izzy’s mother was happy that he would be bringing Rita home for dinner, and completely fine with her spending the night. Izzy didn’t tell his mother the details on what happened, only that he failed. He could tell how worried his mother was, there was no doubt she didn’t hear the sadness in his voice. Walking back home, Rita nervously pulled her suitcase alongside her. “Are you sure they are really okay with this? Most parents aren’t that chill when it comes to things like this…” Rita questioned. “They are used to this Digital World stuff happening from time to time. If they let me go back into another dangerous world, then this is nothing to them.” Izzy smiled, trying to reassure Rita. “Your parents must really trust you… you’re lucky.” Rita smiled softly. “Your parents wouldn't do the same?” Izzy inquired. “Hmm my dad might, my mom isn’t as trusting as him.” Rita admitted, wondering what they would think if they knew what had been going on in Japan here. “Y-your parents are divorced, right?” Izzy tried to confirm, hoping he didn’t bring up any unsettled feelings. “Yeah, it was a few years ago. I kinda feel stupid for not seeing it coming though… guess I was just in denial, thinking our family situation was normal. I never saw them show any affection for the other, not to mention they would fight every day and get me involved somehow. It’s hard, but I know everyone is better off this way.” Rita explained, Izzy just felt worse. She had clearly been through a ton of sadness in her life, and now again… “I’m sorry…” Izzy spoke, Rita just shook her head and gave him a gentle smile. “Don’t be, I’m sorry for going into detail, just more depressing stuff on top of another… I need to smile; I don’t want your parents to worry more than they already are.” Rita was always like this, as much as she was upset or worried herself, she still thought of others first, trying her best to put her own feelings aside. All this time she was taking care of him, now it was his turn to return the favour.


	11. Chapter 11

Opening the door to the Izumi family’s apartment, Rita clutched her chest. This was the first time she was going over to Izzy’s house, and not only that, she would be spending the night. “I’m home!” Izzy called out, taking off his shoes at the entrance, Rita following suit. “Welcome home dear, and Rita, it’s so nice to see you again. Please make yourself at home.” Mrs. Izumi had such a warm a loving smile, she really was such a wonderful mother. “Thank you very much for having me,” Rita bowed. “Oh no need to be so formal, you two must be tired. Izzy why don’t you take Rita’s things to your room and then we can talk.” Izzy’s mother smiled at her son, however, the smile that he gave her back didn’t hide the sadness he was feeling one bit. “Right…” Izzy took hold of Rita’s suitcase as he gestured for Rita to follow him. Rita looked up at his mother, she looked heartbroken, even if she didn’t know what happened. She then turned back to Rita with a smile. “You look like you could use some relaxation, why don’t you go take a bath and freshen up for dinner. You can give me any laundry you have as well.” Mrs. Izumi insisted. “A-are you sure?” Rita questioned, feeling like she was imposing on their kindness. “Of course dear, I told you to make yourself at home. Why don’t you grab your things and I will show you how the bath works.” Rita nodded slightly, heading in the direction of Izzy’s room. Taking a peek inside, Rita wasn’t surprised to see the room filled with complicated books and of course a PC on his desk. Izzy watched as Rita’s eyes surveyed his room. “It’s pretty boring I know…” Izzy blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed that Rita was actually in his room. “No not at all, it fits you well. Ah er… your mother offered for me to take a bath. I think I could use one, so I’m just going to gather my things.” Rita fidgeted, slowly inching towards her luggage. “Ah right, sure thing.” Izzy replied, his mind racing. He watched as she sorted through her suitcase, pulling out her toiletry bag and some clothes. “Your mother really is a kind person,” Rita smiled as she held her things. “Yeah, she is… umm do you need anything, or any help?” Izzy asked hesitantly. “No, your mother said she would show me how everything works. You should probably talk to her though… I can tell she is worried…” Izzy looked up at Rita, he was sure she was right, though it’s not something he felt eager to discuss again. “Rita dear, do you have your things?” Izzy’s mother’s voice called out. “Ah yes, I’ll be right in!” Rita called back, blushing as she looked at Izzy one more time before exiting his room. 

Rita was showed how the bath worked and had given her clothing to Mrs. Izumi for washing. Scrubbing herself off before entering the bath, Rita’s mind was a mess. So much had happened today, things that made her heart race and things that shattered it to pieces. Right now she was bathing in the home of the boy she loved, yet she wasn’t a flustered mess. Her body ached and she felt sick from all that crying before. Thinking about why, picturing Mikumon’s face as she smiled, calling out Rita’s name. Tears stung her eyes once more as she slid into the tub. The comforting feeling the warm water provided only let loose more tears that Rita had been fighting back. Her falling tears left ripples in the water, her eyes following the movements. In here she was at least alone, and in this time she would cry out every last tear she could, so Izzy wouldn't have to bear watching her breakdown again. The last thing she wanted was to worry Izzy and his family more, not after all they had done for her. 

Izzy leaned back on his bed, his arm draped over his face, covering his overly strained eyes. What would he do next? He promised Rita that he would find some way to reunite them with their Digimon, even if they didn’t remember who they were. There must be some way back to the Digital World, they did still have their Digivices after all. “Izzy I brought an extra futon… how are you feeling?” Izzy removed his arm to show his mother hovering over him. “Thanks… sorry for the trouble.” Izzy muttered as he sat himself up. “You don’t have to thank me, I’m your mother, I will always be here for you… but please tell me everything when you feel up to it, okay?” Izzy knew he was lucky to have such a kind and understanding mother. “I will… thanks. Again, I appreciate your understanding to let Rita spend the night.” Izzy mentioned once more, after hearing from Rita that it was unusual for parents to do so, he wanted to make sure they knew he was happy they trusted him. “It’s no problem, though I am rather worried about her…” Izzy’s mother stated as she sat down next to Izzy on his bed. “What do you mean?” Izzy asked, his mother just gave him a soft smile. “I can tell she is forcing her smile right now, not to mention the fact her eyes are red and puffy… poor thing must have had a long cry to reach that result.” Izzy wasn’t surprised she had caught on to that, and like him, he knew she wanted to do something to help. “Well for now all I can do is keep watch over her, I don’t want Rita to think about things too hard right now… I want her to smile for real again.” Izzy wasn’t even realizing what words were escaping his lips at the moment, only cluing in when his mother gave him a bright smile. “W-what?” Izzy asked hesitantly. “You really like this girl, don’t you?” Izzy’s face turned bright red, there was no point in denying it now. Looking down he just nodded, feeling too embarrassed to look his mother in the eyes. “Don’t worry dear, I promise you that if you just stay by her side everything will work out.” Mrs. Izumi figured out the first time she ran into Rita that there was something there. Getting confirmation that her son felt the same way made her overjoyed. “Thanks mom…” Izzy spoke, still trying to hide his red cheeks. She then placed her hand on her son’s shoulder. He was becoming more of a man every day. Time really did go by too fast sometimes. 

“Sorry to interrupt…” Rita spoke as she peeked her head in Izzy’s room. It appeared that the two were having a moment. “No worries dear, are you feeling any better? You didn't stay in very long.” Mrs. Izumi asked, standing up and walking over to Rita. “Ah yes, thank you again… I just don’t handle the heat well so I can never bathe for very long.” Rita blushed slightly, she hoped that Izzy’s mother didn’t notice how red her eyes were. “It’s no trouble, Izzy why don't you go take a bath next, I will start working on dinner. Rita if you like you can come join me.” Izzy blushed as he stood up. “Sure, I’ll be quick too.” Izzy informed, feeling a little nervous about Rita and his mother spending time together. Not that he didn't like them getting along, he just hoped his mother didn’t say anything to embarrass him. “Don’t rush, you need to soak more than anyone! I told you before to take better care of your body… sitting at the computer for endless hours like you do…” Rita sighed before turning bright red. Looking up at Izzy’s mother who just gave her a happy smile. “Ah, sorry… it wasn’t my place…” “No, I am very happy you are looking out for him, I feel like if you say it he might actually listen.” Mrs. Izumi chuckled back, only making Izzy blush. “Okay okay, I’ll stay in longer then…” Izzy retorted before heading into the washroom. Rita just turned to Mrs. Izumi in confusion. “D-did I make him mad?” Izzy’s mother couldn't help but find the situation adorable. “Not at all, why don’t you come help me prepare dinner? Only if you are up for it though.” Her warm smile made Rita really feel at home. “I’d be happy to help, though I don’t have much experience with Japanese food… that and I’m not much of a chef…” Rita admitted. “Then even better, I will teach you all I know, especially Izzy’s favourites!” Rita turned bright red at the implication. “T-thank you… I would like that…” Rita blushed, she was sure now that Izzy’s mother knew about her feelings. 

Rita helped gather all of the ingredients for dinner, following all of the instructions for the preparations. “You really are a natural,” Izzy’s mother smiled, Rita finding herself smiling back. “R-really?” “Yes, you will make a wonderful wife someday.” Rita instantly covered her bright red face as she turned back to continue cutting. “I… I hope so…” Rita managed to speak, bringing an even happier smile to Mrs. Izumi’s face. Rita would make the perfect daughter-in-law, not that she planned on pushing that this early. She was just relieved to see Rita show a real smile. “I’m surprised you have so much fruit; it all looks amazing!” Rita stated as a change of subject. “Well help yourself, Izzy said you don’t eat meat so we made sure to prepare something without it.” Mrs. Izumi smiled back. “That is really kind of you, though you didn't know I was coming over until just a while ago…” Rita paused, wondering why they had so much. “Oh well we bought a bunch since it is Tentomon’s favourite, I’m surprised Izzy didn’t bring him over tonight.” Izzy’s mother mused, Rita just set down the knife and remained still. Turning to look at Rita, Mrs. Izumi felt her heart ache, the tears forming in Rita’s eyes made her wish she chose her words more carefully. “I-Izzy didn’t tell you, did he?” Rita spoke in sadness as the first tear fell down on the cutting board. Mrs. Izumi walked over to Rita, placing her hand on her back. “No he didn’t… I think whatever happened is too painful for him to talk about right now…” she answered, her fears only growing. “I’ll tell you…” Rita said as she turned with a serious expression. Mrs. Izumi nodded as she then led Rita to the living room couch. 

Sitting down with both of Izzy’s parents, Rita explained as simply as she could what had happened. How the only way to stop the current attacks and prevent anything more serious from happening was for a reboot of the Digital World. She explained how hard Izzy had been working to solve this, constantly searching for a solution. In the end they didn’t make it in time and their Digimon partners will now not know who they are. Mrs. Izumi embraced Rita as she broke down crying again. She understood now just how painful things must be for them, for Izzy. The thought of Tentomon not knowing who her son was broke her heart. Izzy walked out to see his mother holding Rita as she cried. Both his parents gave him heartbroken looks, it was then that he knew Rita had explained everything for him. “Izzy…” his mother spoke with tears in her eyes. Izzy felt like crying as well, but right now Rita was crying enough for the both of them. “Rita please don’t cry…” Izzy begged as he sat down next to her. His mother let go of Rita and she instantly dove into his arms. “I’m sorry… I had to tell them… I just didn’t want you to have to… but I…” Rita continued to cry as Izzy just stroked her hair. “Thanks for thinking of me… it’s okay, just don’t cry, you will make yourself sick at this rate…” Izzy sighed, it’s not like telling her to stop was much of a solution. “Dear why don’t I help you finish dinner and we can give these two some time alone.” Izzy’s father proposed. “Right, we will leave Rita to you…” His mother added, the look on her face said the words she couldn’t say just yet. “I’m so sorry Izzy…”

Rita had calmed herself once again, apologizing to Izzy over and over for breaking down once more. “I didn’t want you to see me crying anymore… I know I am just making things harder for you… I’m sorry…” Izzy shook his head as he reached down to hold Rita’s hand. “Don’t apologize, you told them for my sake… so thank you. I didn’t know how to tell them, I was dreading having to explain everything to them and see how sad it made them. Having you here helped… so really, thank you.” Izzy gave Rita a gentle smile as he lightly squeezed her hand. Rita’s heart started to race, slowly inching closer she rested her head against his arm. She could say she loved him over and over again in her mind, only wishing she could speak her feelings out loud. “You don’t need to thank me… and I’ll be okay, I won’t cry anymore… I know it would just make Mikumon and Tentomon sad if I did… just please let me stay by your side… okay?” Rita blushed, her nose brushing into Izzy’s sleeve, breathing in his calming scent. Izzy’s cheeks reddened once more, his heart pounding so loud he was sure his parents in the kitchen could hear it. “As long as you stay by mine…” Izzy’s voice was hushed and it filled Rita’s stomach with butterflies. She wouldn’t keep her promise to Tentomon just because it was a promise, it was also what she wanted most in the world. 

Izzy’s parents hated have to wake the two for dinner, but they both knew they needed a good meal in them. It seemed that after Rita’s breakdown things had gotten a bit better. Talking through dinner she smiled a ton and even laughed. Izzy’s parents had asked Rita a bunch of questions, making her feel like she was in the spotlight. As embarrassing at it was, it made her happy that they were showing an interest in her. “We will have to hear you sing sometime!” Mrs. Izumi insisted, Rita only blushed more. “Sure, next time I will bring my guitar then.” Rita replied with a smile. Izzy felt conflicted, wondering if it was okay to be happy right now. He should be completely devastated, yet seeing how much his parents adored Rita, it made it feel like everything that happened earlier today was just a bad dream. After they had finished eating dinner, everyone gathered on the couch to watch a movie before Izzy’s parents then insisting that Izzy and Rita get some sleep. “So your parents are not only okay with me sleeping over but sharing a room?” Izzy did question that himself, especially if his parents knew that he had feelings for Rita. Though they must have looked at it logically, that obviously nothing was going to happen. “Yeah well, they trust me I guess…” Izzy spoke as he smoothed out the futon. “I can do that, don’t worry.” Rita insisted as she sat down beside him. “No you are taking the bed.” Izzy ordered. “Uh, no I’m not! You are the one who needs a good sleep in an actual bed for once, now get your butt up there!” Rita pointed with a look that screamed don’t argue. Izzy just sighed, he knew he couldn’t fight logic. “Are you sure you are going to be okay?” He again asked. “Why? Are you asking me to come up there and join you?” Rita teased, getting the reaction she wanted as Izzy’s face shone red. “T-That's not... I didn’t!” He stammered, Rita just laughed. “You don’t need to worry; you have done so much for me already… thank you.” Rita spoke as she got up to sit on the edge of Izzy’s bed. “You thank me too much…” Izzy blushed. “Really? I thought I didn’t thank you enough.” Rita gave him a gentle smile; he was happy to see that beautiful smile of hers again. “Get some sleep,” Rita said as she placed her hand over his. “Y-you too…” Izzy replied, wondering what would happen if he looked her in the eyes right now. Taking that chance he saw that her eyes were already fixed on his. Their faces were only a few inches away and the desire to pull Rita close and kiss her was becoming hard to fight off. With another squeeze of her hand, Rita then moved back down into the futon, her heart racing like crazy. She was so close to kissing him back there, hoping sleep will help her mind get the jump on her hormones again. “Goodnight Izzy…” “Goodnight Rita…” If Izzy wasn’t as exhausted as he was, there would be no chance of him sleeping in a situation like this. For now he needed his rest so he could keep that promise, then maybe he could tell her how he felt. 

The following morning Rita thanked Izzy’s family again for putting her up for the night. They responded by saying she was welcome to anytime. If Izzy didn’t know any better, it was almost like they were trying to set him and Rita up. “Are you going to head back home then?” Izzy asked as the two started walking in the direction of Izzy’s office. “I’ll come to your office for a bit and then message Mimi that I will be home later on. I feel bad for leaving her alone… but I think that was the best thing for us right now.” Rita explained, though a little hint of guilt remained plain to see. “Don’t feel bad, Mimi will be okay, besides I’m sure she was just as worried about you as you were about her.” Izzy replied, hitting the mark. Rita just smiled back, the best thing she could do for Mimi was to help Izzy with finding a way back to the Digital World after all. “True, I’m going to do whatever I can to help you find our way back to the Digimon… though since there isn’t a deadline I am hoping you will take better care of yourself this time and actually go home and sleep.” Rita lectured. “I will, I don’t want to make you even more worried.” Izzy stated to Rita’s surprise. “Good you are learning; I knew you were smart!” She winked causing Izzy to chuckle. “Very funny… though there is one thing I might need your help with.” Izzy confessed. “What is it?” Rita was actually relieved that he was relying on her for something. “It’s about the others… they must all be as depressed as we are… I’m not sure if they have any hope or even want to bother seeing the Digimon again if they don’t remember us… but still, I think we all need to, even if they don’t know who we are, we are still partners. I want you to help convince Mimi and the others of this, is that okay?” Izzy made a good point, Rita wasn’t sure everyone would be up for this… still she would try. “I’ll do my best, just like you always do.” “Are you trying to make me blush or something...?” Izzy grumbled. “Like it’s hard,” Rita grinned as she poked Izzy’s red cheek. Everyone must be in a dark place right now. If it wasn’t for Izzy, then Rita knew she would be feeling the same. Even if Mikumon didn’t remember who she was and what they had been through together, they were still partners. She would rather form that bond all over again then never try. That’s what friendship was, it required sacrifice from time to time, but in the end if their feelings are strong enough, things would hopefully work out. 

The following week Rita had done all she could to help Izzy. She had tried to convince Mimi that seeing them again was the best thing, though Mimi wasn’t sure. It was hard seeing everyone so down, and it seemed like only Rita, Izzy, and TK were willing to try at this point. Izzy had attempted to talk to Tai and even he seemed to think leaving things the way they were was for the best. Rita wasn’t convinced, nor would she ever be. One rainy day Rita looked up at the sky, she couldn't help but wonder if it meant Mikumon was crying right now. “Rita?” Izzy questioned, noticing Rita was thinking about something. “I want to see her…” she spoke, Izzy reached out his hand when the sudden sound of a whistle caught both their attention. “Tentomon…” Izzy felt that burning desire to see his partner again welling up in his chest. “Let’s go!” Izzy called out, grabbing Rita’s hand and dragging her along. “Where are we going?” She asked, being pulled along his running steps. “That sound!” Rita wondered what he meant, it was just the sound of a whistle. She decided not to ask questions and followed him anyway. Call it destiny or whatever, but somehow all the DigiDestined had heard that sound and ended up at the same spot. Everyone had a serious look on their face as they looked up to the sky. Rita wasn’t sure what the connection was, but everyone besides Meiko was here… it was possible that the sound of a whistle meant something to the original eight. “If we wait… if we wait for “someday” we’ll end up becoming adults!” Tai said with a smile. “Tai…let’s go!” Izzy too smiled. Rita looked over to Mimi who gave her a gentle look, one that said she was ready to fight again. The sun suddenly began cutting through the clouds, like it was the universe’s way of saying they made the right decision. 

The group went to Himekawa, telling her of the plan. They only had one chance and there was no guarantee that they would be able to come back. Even though Mr. Nishijima thought it was too great a risk, everyone was of the same mind. They were going no matter what the cost, none of them were going to lose that bond that was so precious to them. Himekawa then told them to meet at the place where the distortion last occurred, when they lost their Digimon the last time. Rita and Mimi gathered their things, making sure they were prepared for however long they may remain in the Digital World. Rita was nervous, but a part of her was excited. She had always wanted to see the Digital World, the place her best friend came from. She wanted to see her again, to never be apart. “I hope TK is able to convince MeiMei to come…” Mimi spoke as she gave Rita a sad look. “I don't know… I’m sure she feels guilty… it’s not her fault but I understand if I was in her place… we shouldn't try to force her.” Rita answered, knowing that what she said wouldn't reassure Mimi in the slightest. “I hope she is okay…” Mimi continued to look sad, Rita just pulled her into her arms. “It will be okay, let’s meet up with the others, alright?” Pulling back to give Mimi a smile, Mimi couldn't help but smile back. “You’ve gotten stronger Rita,” “I have?” Rita blushed, wondering where that came from. “Since you met Izzy, you really have grown so much.” Mimi’s words made Rita blush even more. “Ah, yeah… l-let’s get going!” Rita attempted to change the subject. “Want to see him that badly?” Mimi teased. “T-that’s not what I meant!” Rita cried back, the two of them then heading back to Tokyo Big Sight. 

When they arrived TK had some interesting news to share from when he went to see Meiko. “The origin of the infection came from Meicoomon?” Joe stammered. “Did you know?” Matt turned to ask Mr. Nishijima. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…” he replied, feeling guilty for keeping everyone in the dark. “It must be hard for MeiMei, isn’t it?” Mimi asked, already knowing the answer. “If she told us sooner…” Joe spoke, “could you have?” TK then cut in. “I couldn’t…” TK continued. Rita watched Izzy as he looked over to TK with concern. “I mean I couldn’t say anything about Patamon’s infection.” “That’s true…” Joe agreed. Izzy then bent down to open his laptop. “Are the coordinates for the Digital World accurate?” Matt asked. “I got all of the available data and also advice from Himekawa.” Izzy informed, Rita’s heart was racing, this was all going to actually happen. Himekawa then showed up, holding out a black D-3 and a D-terminal. “We independently proceeded with the analysis, though the analysis still isn’t complete, if the D-3 can synchronize with your power, then the “gate” can probably open.” She informed, taking over Izzy’s computer. “Our power?” Sora questioned. “Using the power of your crests.” Himewaka answered. Nodding to each other, the group pulled out their Digivices, holding them out. A glowing yellow beam of light shot up into the sky and indeed, the portal had opened. “You going?” Matt questioned as he looked over to Tai. “Yeah,” he replied back. Rita looked over to Mimi who took hold of her hand, easily able to tell that Rita was nervous. “Take care everyone!” Mr. Nishijima said as he faced the group with a worried expression. Mimi then turned to Sora. “What’s wrong?” “It’s just a bit scary…” she responded. Everyone seemed to share that same sense on unnerving. Rita wasn’t the only one who was nervous. “You know I’ve been thinking about this since Gomamon disappeared. That I should work hard so he can’t laugh at me the next time I see him.” Joe said with a smile. “It’s okay,” Matt then said as he comforted Sora. Looking at each other once more, the group then made their way towards the gate. Rita felt herself start to float as she and the others were being pulled up into the sky. Holding tightly onto her bag, Rita closed her eyes and waited to see where she would end up next.


	12. Chapter 12

Rita opened her eyes to see a world she had never seen before. It was beautiful, pure and untouched. “How nostalgic!” Joe cried out. “Seriously! It’s just like before!” Mimi chimed in. “Even if it has been rebooted it doesn't mean that the structure of the Digital World has changed. Just…” Izzy began to speak before stopping mid-sentence. “What?” Rita and Tai both asked. “Well, something feels off…” Izzy admitted. “Off?” Sora questioned. “I can’t say exactly what has changed…” Izzy pondered. “Yeah…” Kari agreed. “You too Kari?” Tai asked. “Something feels weird…” Kari also confessed. The group looked around but decided to just continue walking. Rita wasn’t much help here, looking around it seemed just like a subtropical forest. Although she did regret not packing hiking shoes, seeing how much climbing there was. Only the sounds of distant birds, Rita wondered if there were Digimon in this Digital World at all. Suddenly a loud sound caught their attention. “W-what?” Joe cried out. A giant explosion and a flash of light were the results in two large Digimon’s attacks. Judging from the look of them, they had to be at Mega level. Rita wondered how that was possible since if the Digital World was reset, shouldn’t everyone be at In-training or Baby? “Alphamon!” Matt called out. Rita then remembered that the large black one was the same Digimon that attacked Pallet Town. “I’ve never seen that Digimon!” Izzy spoke as his eyes fell on the other Mega Digimon. Suddenly being caught up in the crossfire, the group bolted back into the woods. 

“Looks like we survived…” Joe panted. “Besides, I’m curious about that Digimon” Izzy said as he started to type on his laptop. “They just started fighting suddenly…” Sora spoke. “That’s not what I’m saying… there! Jesmon…” Izzy gathered the group’s attention. “What’s on your mind?” Matt asked, walking over. “Those two must be Mega level.” Izzy reasoned, it seemed just like Rita he also found something wrong with that. “For sure…” Tai agreed. “Shouldn’t the Digimon be back at Digi-Egg or Baby if there was a reboot?” Joe pointed out. Izzy was zoned into his computer once more. “Did those guys evade the reboot? Or did something make them rapidly Digivolve?” Izzy pondered. “Forget that! What should we do if we meet other Digimon like that? Palmon and them aren’t here!” Mimi reasoned. Kari then hushed everyone, the distinct sound of a whistle could be heard in the distance. Again everyone ran in the direction of the sound, as if it was calling them. Running out of the woods the bright light reviled the water, and not only that. Standing on a rock was Tokomon blowing into a whistle. Rita’s eyes widened to see the rest of the Digimon in their In-training forms following out towards Tokomon. However, when Koromon noticed the humans the words he spoke were like a knife to the heart. “Who are you?” Rita didn’t know how much it would hurt, Habumon saw her, yet there was no recognition in her eyes. That was a stabbing pain that everyone there felt. “Give it back, give it back!” Nyaromon cried out. “I want to play more! I want to play more!” Tokomon responded. “What a nice sound,” TK spoke, being the first to walk up to the Digimon. “What’s with the whistle?” He then asked. “It’s mine! It’s mine!” Nyaromon shouted back. “It makes such pretty sounds!” Tokomon informed, blowing into the whistle once more. Sora then ran forward calling out her partner’s name. “Yokomon!” However, the Digimon only cowered. “Who are you?” She questioned, Rita could feel Sora’s heart breaking. Rita tried to fight off the tears, she reached out for Izzy’s arm, touching his skin. Izzy knew he had to do something, to say something. Rita promised she wouldn’t cry again and he wasn’t going to let her. Stepping forward Rita watched as Izzy slowly moved and crouched down in front of the Digimon. “Hello, I don’t know much about you guys, or this world. Would you teach me?” Izzy spoke in such a gentle and loving voice. His actions only made Rita fall in love with him all over again. Walking up beside him, Rita smiled down as she looked at her partner. Mikumon always was a little shy, so she would take this one step at a time. 

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Koromon asked. “You guys are called humans, right? Why are you here?” Bukamon also questioned. “You guys, that’s dangerous!” Tsunamon spoke as he hid behind the large rock. “But I don’t think they’re bad people,” Motimon interjected. His words made Rita smile, he was always very observant after all. “Hey, hey, how do you guys know us?” Tokomon then asked. All of them jumping in to ask question after question. “W-wait a minute, I can’t understand if you all speak at once.” Joe reasoned, Rita just looked over to Habumon with a smile. She was clearly hesitant and didn’t seem to want to come forward like some of the others. Tai then bent down to Koromon with a smile. “Looks like you haven’t changed,” he said, poking Koromon’s cheek. Mimi then jumped in with picking up Tanemon. “I gotcha!” She laughed. “Don't eat me!” Tanemon cried out. “I won’t eat you! After all we’re partners.” Mimi proclaimed, the term seemed to be lost on them though. Rita watched the sad look in Mimi’s eyes when Tanemon questioned what a partner was. It was painful, that and, how could they possibly explain it to them? 

Rita took a deep breath before moving over to the rock which Habumon was sitting on. Getting on her knees, Rita’s eyes met with her partner who was slowly inching back. “It’s nice to meet you… my name is Rita, I hope you and I can become friends.” Rita smiled warmly, holding back all of her sad feelings. “Friends? You want to be friends?” Habumon questioned. Rita nodded as she reached out to stroke her partner. “Is that okay with you?” Rita asked, hoping that there was still something Habumon could feel. “Ah… okay!” Habumon finally smiled, Rita now felt like crying for a different reason. “I’m really happy,” she admitted, reaching out to stroke Habumon’s leaf like ears. “That feels nice,” Habumon seemed surprised. Rita always knew that she loved having her leaf ears rubbed. “I’m glad,” Rita again smiled. She then looked around to see everyone mingling with their partners, it was a warming sight. Looking over to Izzy, it seemed him and TK were trying to work out his laptop and D-terminal. “Is it okay if we go over to where Motimon and Tokomon are?” Rita asked, wanting to see what Izzy was up to. “Okay!” Habumon smiled as she hopped alongside Rita. “Is everything okay?” Rita inquired, bending down beside Izzy. “We can’t seem to connect back to the real world.” TK explained, holding out the D-terminal. “The gate has completely disappeared too. The Digital World itself must be unstable right after the reboot.” Izzy confessed, still typing away. “I see…” Rita mumbled, glancing over to Izzy’s screen. “What’s a reboot?” Tokomon asked. “Can you eat it?” Koromon then jumped in. “Not sure, what could it be? Izzy, you really know many difficult things.” Motimon spoke, catching Izzy’s attention. Rita was happy to see that he was taking an interest in his partner. “There are many things I don't know, that’s why I want to know more. About you guys and about this world too.” Izzy was again being modest, though the Digimon just looked confused. Habumon looked up at Rita with a perplexed look, Rita only smiled back. TK then picked up Tokomon, looking him deep in the eyes. “W-what?” Tokomon panicked. “The infection’s gone,” TK looked completely relieved. “What’s that?” Tokomon asked. “Nothing, anyway Tokomon, let’s become friends!” TK smiled. “Friends?” Tokomon questioned, “yeah! I want to be with you.” TK continued to smile. “Hmm… okay!” Tokomon responded. Rita just chuckled, it was like the same thing with Habumon. “What’s so funny?” Izzy asked. Rita met his eyes with a happy look. “It’s nothing… just… thank you Izzy, for getting us all here.” Izzy’s cheeks turned red as he looked to all the Digimon staring at their interaction. “I-it’s not like I got us here alone, everyone’s power did it!” Izzy stammered. “True, but you were the one who never gave up and got us to this point.” Rita reasoned, poking Izzy on his forehead. “You helped too you know…” Izzy continued to blush. Rita just smiled as she pulled Habumon onto her lap. “Just say your welcome,” Rita chuckled. Izzy felt his face flush more as he felt Rita’s body pressing up against his arm. Motimon watched as if he was observing, Izzy just wondered how long it would take him to figure out his feelings for Rita this time around. 

“So? What’s after this?” Matt asked, gathering the focus. “We either find a way home or wait until we get rescued by Himekawa. Either way we will need to find some food and a place to sleep. Plus, the Digimon are still small.” Joe explained. “It’s okay…” Mimi spoke as she came out of the bushes with Tanemon in her arms. Rita watched as Mimi rubbed the tears from her eyes before meeting everyone’s gaze again. “We’ll be okay! We got home last time so we’ll get through! No worries in my eyes! Right? Like in your eyes too, Tane! You just go with the flow!” Mimi returned to her normal chipper attitude. Her eyes then became soft once more. “Geez, I gotta teach you all over again how to go with the flow. We were finally able to meet again, that’s enough for now!” Mimi grinned, bringing Tanemon up to her eye level again. Mimi was right, for now this was enough. She rubbed her head against her partner as Tanemon cried out for her not to eat her. “I told you I’m not going to eat you!” Mimi called back out. Rita looked to Habumon with a smile, it was true, Rita was just so happy to see her partner again, this meant the world to her as is. 

All of a sudden there was a rustle in the bushes that caught the groups attention, if they were going to be attacked then they were in a whole lot of trouble. Tai slowly approached to find Meicoomon crying. “Meicoomon?” Tai called out in shock. Everyone was shocked, somehow Meicoomon was still in her Champion form after the reboot. “How? Why is she still in Champion form?” Mimi called out. “Mei… she’s not here?” Meicoomon cried, the group was stunned. Rita couldn’t understand, somehow Meicoomon remembered her partner. “You remember Meiko…” Sora spoke. “Mei! Mei!” Meiccomon continued to cry before running off into the woods. Everyone seemed too surprised to even move. Tai then suddenly ran forward, chasing after her. Rita looked over to Izzy who seemed to also have a hard time processing this new information. “W-what should we do?” Rita asked, her grip on Habumon tightening. “For now let’s just go back out and wait for Tai to return.” Matt suggested. “I’m hungry!” Koromon cried out, no surprise to anyone. “Sounds good to me,” TK smiled as he looked down at Tokomon. Tai would come back soon enough, maybe with some answers, and hopefully no more questions. 

The girls decided to set up the lunch boxes that Sora had made. Everything she put together looked delicious, Mimi on the other hand… she had always had some creative ideas for food combinations. All the Digimon’s eyes sparkled as they looked at the food. After questioning what it was and if it was edible, they all started to chow down like the hungry little monsters that they knew and loved. Everyone then passed around the food, the atmosphere turning into a nice and calming picnic. Rita sat next to Izzy and watched as Motimon downed a cup of oolong tea. “Ooh, what is this slightly bitter drink here?” Motimon questioned. “It’s oolong tea,” Izzy answered as his eyes still continued to glance at his laptop. “Ah, it’s pretty good!” Motimon replied, Izzy’s eyes then lit up. “Right? Oolong tea is made from fermented tea leaves, a plant component called oolong tea polymerized polyphenol that reduces the absorption of fats and helps break them down. It is very popular as a health product. See, doesn’t oolong tea go with any type of food?” Izzy explained in detail. “Yes, I could endlessly drink this.” Motimon replied. “Right, this bitter and refreshing taste goes with oily or strongly flavoured foods. First of all, the “long” in oolong stands for…” “I understand how much you love this.” Motimon chimed in. Rita just chuckled as she watched Izzy happily continue. Motimon looked to Rita, taking notice on how happy she looked just from watching Izzy talk. “Izzy if you continue talking then Tokomon is going to eat all your food.” Motimon again interrupted. Izzy however didn’t seem to care. “Oh, Motimon, I would like to hear more about this world from you…” Izzy continued, Rita just sighed. Mimi then walked over, bringing some of her homemade food. “Okay, okay, leave the rest for later. Sora took her time to make all of this food.” Mimi reasoned as she sat on Izzy’s other side. Holding out one of her “creations” in front of Izzy. “Here, say ahh!” Mimi insisted, Izzy turned bright red. Rita felt her chest ache, looking down at her food with noticeably sad eyes. “C’mon if you don't open up you can’t eat it!” Mimi reasoned. “I-I can feed myself!” Izzy jumped back, holding his laptop in front of him. “Wait, what is that by the way?” Izzy then asked, taking notice on what Mimi was actually offering him. “It’s Sora’s cooking with jellybeans and whip cream! I’ve been into this lately, It’s so good! Have some everyone!” Mimi explained, Rita just sighed. It was a good thing Izzy didn’t take it, for more than one reason on her part. “What an… unique topping.” Izzy replied, clearly disgusted, though not wanting to hurt Mimi’s feelings. Rita clutched her chest, her heart hurt much more than before. It was obvious that her feelings for Izzy had only grown and seeing him and Mimi interact now just made her sick to her stomach. “Are you okay Rita?” Habumon asked, noticing that Rita seemed down. “Ah, er yes I’m okay…” Rita smiled back, Habumon and Motimon looked at each other, wondering why Rita was suddenly sad. “Should I try what Mimi is offering the other Digimon?” Habumon questioned. Rita looked over to see Mimi was giving her “creation” to the other Digimon to try. “I wouldn’t… here have some chocolate, you will love it!” Rita smiled, knowing that chocolate was always one of her favourites. Habumon happily took it, showing a glowing happy face as she tried her first bite. The opposite reaction of those who tried Mimi’s treat. 

“I can’t believe everything in the past is all gone now.” Joe stated. “Can’t it go back somehow?” Tai wondered aloud. “Well It’s not like they just forgot,” Joe pointed out. “Meicoomon remembered Mochizuki.” Tai recalled. “Meicoomon was crying,” Matt remembered. Rita thought back to that as well, she wondered what Meicoomon did and didn’t remember at this point. “Shouldn’t we go on a search?” Joe questioned. “Will we… be able to save Meicoomon?” Tai questioned. “Meicoomon and Mochizuki are one of us!” Matt stated before going off over towards the others. Rita looked back over at Izzy, he was probably wondering the same thing himself. She joined Mimi as they all watched their Digimon play like happy children. Rita’s eyes then fell on the water as the sun started to set. It really was beautiful here, though this world was such a mystery. After the Digimon ate they all fell asleep, Rita stood between Mimi and Izzy as the group started their discussion. “Any response from Himekawa?” Joe asked. TK just shook his head. “It’s no good, I can’t contact Gennai either. This world is no mistake strange somehow.” Izzy pondered, Rita wasn’t sure what they could do at this point. Mimi then sighed heavily. “We don’t know anything just like before…” “What should we do now?” Joe questioned. It was silent for a moment before Tai jumped in with an answer. “Let’s find Meicoomon.” “Tai…” Matt spoke as if he was surprised. “Meicoomon and Mochizuki are both one of us, I want to make sure they reunite.” Tai declared, everyone seemed happy with that idea. “So the problem’s Meicoomon’s infection and the distortions. If Meicoomon’s the same as before even after the rebooting…” Izzy informed. “The infections could start again.” Joe concluded. “Are you saying this was all for nothing? The reboot and how everyone lost their memories!” Sora cried out. “Well…” Izzy spoke, unsure of what to say. “Let’s search, our friend’s crying. We gotta save her!” Mimi insisted. “Yeah, I don't know how much we can do, but let’s bring her back to her partner. To Mochizuki’s side.” Tai declared. “Okay!” Mimi cried out, thrusting her fist into the air. “It’s decided, let’s get rolling again.” She added. “We need to secure our base first. Walking around randomly like before isn’t very productive. Let’s find a safe place to sleep first.” Joe reasoned. “You sound like the old Joe now,” TK smiled. “I believe I’ve grown up somewhat.” Joe stated. “You do have a “girlfriend” too,” Mimi spoke as though that was still up for questioning. “You guys still don't believe me!” Joe argued back, just making the others laugh. “Alright, then let’s go! Hey! Wake up Koro…huh?” Tai called out, walking over to the sleeping Digimon. “What’s wrong? Wait, what?” Joe cried out. “Hi!” Agumon spoke. Everyone seemed surprised to see that all the Digimon had reached their Rookie level. 

Patamon and Tentomon took to the skies with excitement, like they were flying for the first time. Rita looked at Mikumon who slowly walked up to her. “Mikumon, it’s nice to see you again…” Rita smiled as she pulled Mikumon into her arms. “You just saw me though?” She questioned, Rita just chuckled as she pulled back to get another look. “That wasn’t what I meant.” Rita answered as she again rubbed Mikumon’s leaf ears. Rita looked around, everyone was just as happy to see that their Digimon had gone back to their Rookie forms. “Looks like we will be able to get by okay even after the reboot.” Izzy smiled as he looked up at Tentomon. Rita was happy to see everyone smiling again, it felt like things were getting back to normal. Even if she should have been focusing on that, the lingering and jealousy she was feeling still couldn’t be pushed aside. As it grew dark the group moved on and started to set up camp. Rita watched Mimi being friendly with Izzy again and the stabbing pain in her chest only grew. “Rita are you really okay?” Mikumon questioned, looking at her partner with concern. “Don’t worry it’s nothing you need to concern yourself with… I’m just going to go off on a little walk… can you stay with the others for a bit?” Rita asked, Mikumon felt her concern only grow. “You don’t want to be with me?” Her saddened look made Rita feel even worse. “No of course that’s not it… honestly I just need to sort somethings out and I don’t want to worry you…” Rita admitted. “But I am worried… does this have to do with Izzy?” Mikumon asked, Rita’s eyes widened. “H-how did you know?” Rita questioned in shock. “Well I’ve been watching you closely and you always seem to look at him, that and when Mimi tried to feed him that gross food you looked really sad…” Rita was surprised but at the same time she wasn’t, Mikumon always looked out for her and picked up on things like this easily. She was happy that nothing had changed in that aspect, even if she didn’t want to worry her friend. “Thanks Mikumon, I really appreciate it… I know right now I should be focusing on what’s currently happening… I’m sorry…” Rita bent down to pat her friend. “Don’t be… if you want some time alone that is okay, just don’t go far and come back soon, okay?” Mikumon smiled. Rita felt tears sting her eyes as she embraced her partner, happy that some things didn’t change in the slightest. Mikumon watched as Rita walked away, she didn’t understand what it was about Izzy that made Rita look the way she did… however, it was possible that Mimi might know.

Izzy typed away on his computer as the group had gathered around the fire. “Mimi can I talk to you?” Izzy looked up to see Mikumon approach Mimi. “What is it Mikumon? Where did Rita go?” Suddenly Mimi’s voice showed concern. Izzy looked around to see that Rita was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Rita?” Izzy asked in a panic. “She said she wanted to be alone for a bit.” Mikumon spoke with a sad look. Izzy didn’t understand, why would she want to be alone when she was finally back together with Mikumon? Mimi looked at Rita’s partner and then to Izzy, it didn’t take her long to figure out Rita’s reasoning. Before she was just messing with Izzy, mostly hoping that he would eat something. Still… she didn’t think of how that would make Rita feel. She had tried to come up with ways for Rita to actually admit her feelings for Izzy, though it was obvious that Izzy still had a little thing for Mimi as well. “It’s my fault…” Mimi spoke. Izzy still couldn't understand what was going on. “What do you mean?” Izzy asked, Mimi turned to him with a sad look. “Izzy can you do me a favour?” She asked, her expression turning serious. “What is it?” Izzy questioned. “Please go find Rita for me, it’s not safe for her out there.” Mimi requested, Izzy nodded as he set his computer down. “Don’t worry Mikumon I will go get her, everything is fine so don’t worry!” Izzy smiled before taking off in the direction Mikumon pointed earlier. “Mimi why did you send Izzy?” Mikumon questioned. “Ah well there is a reason for that, it’s called love.” Mimi smiled. “Love?” Mikumon and Tentomon both questioned, turning to face the other. Mimi just smiled thinking, ‘hopefully this makes it up to her… I’m sorry Rita, he’s on his way!’


	13. Chapter 13

Rita didn’t know what she was doing, it was stupid for her to go off alone, but she needed to clear her head. “I’m such an idiot!” She cried out before curling up to her knees. She had to get over this, move on, she promised Izzy to support him no matter what, so what the hell was she doing? She felt so close to him before, yet now she felt that distance between them again. She asked to stay by his side, and Rita knew what she really meant by that. So when Izzy said the same… what did he mean then? “Rita!” Rita’s heart started to race when a voice she knew all too well called out for her. “Izzy?” She questioned, turning to face him. “What are you doing out here all by yourself? Are you crazy?” Izzy lectured as he came to a stop in front of her, catching his breath. “Sorry…” Rita spoke. Izzy saw a sad look cross her eyes, he suddenly felt bad for getting upset, although he was worried. “No, it’s just… why did you go off on your own?” He asked, helping Rita to her feet. “I guess I just needed some time to get my thoughts together… I didn’t mean to worry everyone.” Rita couldn't help but wonder why it was Izzy out of everyone who came to look for her. “How come you are the one who came to look for me? Not that I’m not happy, I just figured Mimi would try searching first…” Rita asked, hoping there was something more to why he came. “Mimi was the one who told me to go look for you.” Izzy replied. Rita felt her heart sink. “Oh… I see…” she turned away, that awful feeling surfacing once more. “W-what’s wrong?” Izzy asked, not sure what changed again. Without a chance to respond, Rita felt herself falling. Izzy’s eyes widened to see that a distortion was opening up at Rita’s feet, pulling her in. “Rita!” Izzy cried out as he reached out to her, in doing so he too was pulled down. 

Rita opened her eyes to see she was surrounded by glowing lights. Her legs were emerged in water and Izzy and her were now someplace she had never seen before. There were red flowers and glowing yellow flowers growing out of the beds that surrounded the stream, fireflies covered the sky, taking attention away from the tons of beautiful stars. “Where are we?” Rita asked as Izzy again helped her to her feet. “I have no idea… I’ve never been here before.” Izzy observed as he looked around at the beautiful scenery. “It’s gorgeous…” Rita spoke, taking in the romantic view. “Yeah it is, I wonder what part of the Digital World this is.” Izzy replied as his eyes surveyed the scene. “How did we get here? Was that a distortion that opened up beneath my feet? How are we going to get back?” Rita started to panic, realizing that they were both without their things and their partner Digimon. “Try to stay calm, I’m sure we will figure it out. Besides, at least we are together, it would have been really bad if you got transported here by yourself.” Izzy reasoned, Rita knew he was right, that and she didn’t exactly mind being alone with him. “True… I guess we can explore then? Unless a distortion takes us back then we better at least figure out what is nearby.” Rita concluded, turning back to look at Izzy. “I suppose, but be careful. There is no telling what we might run into, that and we don’t have our Digimon to protect us.” Izzy replied, he was a bit hesitant about leaving the area, although standing here wasn't going to do much either. “I will, besides I am kind of curious to see where this stream goes.” Rita admitted, taking in the sights once more. Izzy looked ahead to see that it went on for a while. “Well, let’s start walking…” Rita spoke as though she wasn’t sure herself. Izzy followed behind, watching as Rita’s eyes sparkled. Even considering the situation they were in, she seemed rather happy. He had always noticed that Rita was fond of nature, no doubt the landscape here was the reason behind her smile. 

They hadn’t managed to get far when Rita’s foot hit a rock. Stumbling forward, Izzy ran to reach her in time, only instead tripping himself. The force of the fall sent Izzy crashing into Rita, both of their bodies engulfed in the water. Sitting up, Izzy reached his arms out to grab Rita’s shoulders. “Are you okay?” He asked in a panic, praying she wasn’t hurt. “Yeah… though we’re soaked…” Rita responded, looking down at both of their uniforms. “Sorry…” Izzy blushed, realizing that he only made things worse. “Why are you apologizing?” Rita questioned. “Because I knocked you into the water…” “Trying to save me! I’m happy you did that, at least this way I got to have a bath… somewhat.” Rita chuckled, Izzy then smiled himself. “I guess that’s one way to look at it.” Izzy also started laughing at the situation. His eyes then meeting Rita’s. The water droplets were caressing her face as they fell down, making her look even more breathtaking than normal. Even sitting in the cold water, Rita felt her body heat up. The way Izzy was looking at her made her stomach flutter. His eyes grew heavy and focused and something was drawing her closer to him. “Izzy…” she spoke in a hushed voice. Izzy didn’t know what was happening, only that every second that passed he was getting closer and closer to Rita. The way her half lidded eyes were fixed on his own, combined with the somehow erotic hushed voice calling his name. Right now, could he stop himself from kissing her? Did he really want to? Rita was closing the distance herself, her lips slightly parted as her lustful desires took over. Enough times had she held back, but now with Izzy leaning in, it was impossible at this rate. Both eyes started to close as their lips were being drawn to the other. Rita then felt her stomach fall, the sudden sensation shot both their eyes wide open as a distortion suddenly opened below them. Before they knew it they had both hit the hard ground, looking at each other in shock and embarrassment. 

“Rita!” Rita turned to see Mimi, Palmon, Mikumon, and Tentomon running in their direction. “M-Mimi?” Rita needed a moment to take everything in. “Are you okay? Where did you go?” Mimi called out as she closed the distance. “And why are you both soaked?” Tentomon questioned. Rita and Izzy looked at each other again before returning their focus to the others. “Uh, well…” Rita wasn’t sure how to explain it. “We were pulled into a distortion where we landed in a stream, then we got pulled back here…” Izzy tried to simplify his explanation. “Seriously? That is why you shouldn't go off on your own!” Mimi lectured. “I’m just happy you are okay!” Mikumon cried out as she dove into Rita’s wet arms. “I’m sorry I worried you…” Rita did feel guilty she had left, although she did get to experience something amazing because of it. “You both should get back and dry off,” Palmon suggested. “Yes, you will both get sick at this rate.” Tentomon concluded. Rita and Izzy both nodded, looking at each other again before turning away with red cheeks. Mimi and the Digimon took notice, Mimi wondered if something might have happened. “Let’s get you dried off, you can see your bra through your shirt now.” Mimi just sighed. Rita’s face grew brighter as she covered her chest. “What’s a bra?” Mikumon asked. “Er… never mind…” Rita groaned, following the others back to camp. 

Returning back at the campsite, Rita and Izzy were met with a bunch of questions to where they were and why they were drenched. The two knew they needed to dry their clothes, lucky for Rita she had brought a blanket with her. Her cheeks were red as she was only in her underwear, wrapped in a blanket in front of the fire. The same went for Izzy, however his eyes again fell to his laptop while their clothes, which had been strung up by a rope were slowly drying off. “Are you feeling warmer now?” Mikumon questioned as she sat in Rita’s lap. “Yes, you are keeping me nice and warm, thanks.” Rita smiled back, stroking her partner’s ears. “I can’t believe you just fell through a distortion into water like that.” Joe spoke. “I think we should just be glad that the two of them made it back here.” Tai reasoned, he was right though, it would have been bad if they got separated. “We should make sure to stick close together since there are distortions still in this Digital World, who knows where we might end up.” Matt proclaimed. “True, that was unexpected, plus we ended up in a place that I had never seen before.” Izzy replied, his eyes still glued to his screen. “What was it like?” Kari asked. “It was really beautiful actually… there was a stream that was surrounded by red flowers and these really pretty glowing flowers. The sky was covered in stars and we could see the mountains. Not only that but there were a ton of fireflies, it was gorgeous!” Rita explained. “Sounds super romantic!” Mimi chimed, her eyes focusing on Rita’s reaction. Seeing her blush only made her more curious. “So… did something happen between you two?” Mimi questioned in a hushed voice so only Rita could hear. Mimi’s smile grew wider when Rita covered her face. “O-of course not… nothing really…” Rita blushed, avoiding eye contact with her cousin. “Oh? You sure?” Mimi teased. “Mimi!” Rita cried out, catching everyone’s attention. “Everything okay?” TK questioned with a smile. “Y-yes, it’s nothing!” Rita replied as she sunk even further into her blanket.

After some conversing on what to do next, Tai decided to go look around the area again for distortions. Promising that he wouldn’t go far and would be careful. In that time Rita and Izzy’s clothes had dried, thanks to the fire. The Digimon had all fell asleep as well. It grew quiet for a time before Tai had returned. “Welcome back, how was it?” Izzy asked. “It pops in and out, no clue.” Tai replied as he handed Izzy his goggles. “Meicoomon was always nearby where there was a big distortion, And the distortions continue to exist in this world now. If we trace the distortions it shouldn't be that difficult to find Meicoomon.” Izzy reasoned. “We got no choice but to search, huh?” Tai muttered. Rita watched as Izzy stared at his screen with a serious look. It troubled her to see him look so pained. He was still working nonstop to solve things, Rita wished she could only do more. “Don’t push yourself…” Tai spoke, making Rita smile. She was happy the others were looking out for Izzy as well. Mimi tried to send a text message to Meiko, but of course there was still no signal. “Maybe I should have forced MeiMei to come too.” Mimi considered. “I don’t know; I think it would be harsh for a normal girl like her here.” TK stated. “Probably,” Sora agreed. “What do ya mean, “normal”? We are also your “normal” everyday girls here!” Mimi argued. “W-well yeah… but we’ve all been to the Digital World before, right? Meiko probably never has. You know she seems kind of helpless.” TK concluded. “I’ve never been before though…” Rita spoke, looking around. “Really…?” Kari inquired with a suggestive look. “What’s wrong?” TK asked. “You want to know?” Kari teased. “Don’t worry, my number one will always be you-know-who-. Right?” TK smiled as he turned to look at his brother. “Don’t get me involved!” Matt argued back. “Aren’t you glad, big bro?” Tai teased. “Shut up!” Matt blushed. Laughter then emerged. Sora suddenly stood up with a sad look on her face. “We might need more wood.” She spoke before walking off. Rita felt her chest ache again. Since arriving in the Digital World, Rita had noticed that Sora didn’t seem the same, in fact she was the most depressed out of all of them. She decided to leave it to Tai and Matt who followed after her. They knew her the best in the end, she was sure they would be able to reach her. Soon the others all fell asleep. Rita watched for a while as Izzy curled up with his laptop. He could be just too adorable at times. Even if she wanted to sleep by his side, Mimi pulled Rita along next to her and Kari. Eventually Rita managed to close her eyes and sleep, knowing that she would need her rest. 

A loud explosion awoke everyone in a panic. Looking up there was a large machine like Digimon. “Machinedramon…” Izzy spoke with fear. Rita remembered from one of the stories Izzy had told her, this Digimon was one of the four Dark Masters. “Oh my goodness!” Tentomon cried out. “What is that huge thing?” Patamon questioned. “I have a bad feeling about it,” Salamon spoke. It then turned to face the group, that motion enough sent out a shock wave that emitted a powerful gust. Rita held Mikumon in her arms as she clung to Izzy while they both attempted to hold their ground. “Everyone, let’s run!” TK called out. “But, Tai and them aren’t…” Kari reminded everyone. “I’ll go find them!” Augumon insisted. “There’s no time for that! We gotta hurry and run or it’ll destroy us!” Gabumon argued. “I’m scared… someone help!” Biyomon cowered. “Everyone, calm down! I’m sure Tai and them are fine, so…” Joe reasoned, when it was interrupted by a cry. “Mei!” Meicoomon cried out as she ran their way. “Meicoomon!?” Mimi called out. “Mei! Mei!” She just continued to cry. “Everyone!” Tai then yelled as him, Matt, and Sora emerged from the forest. “Big brother,” Kari smiled with relief. There wasn’t much time to celebrate with Machinedramon preparing for another attack. “Mei, why aren’t you here? Why did you leave me by myself?” Meicoomon continued to cry. Machinedramon’s cannons were now aimed at them, and the group had no way to defend themselves. “Agumon, digivolve!” Tai ordered as he held out his digivice. Agumon just looked confused. “Gabumon!” Matt also called out as he held out his digivice as well. “Please… Tentomon!” Izzy too tried. Yet the Digimon had no idea what it was they wanted. They were all in a mess of trouble now. “Damnit!” Tai clenched his fist. “No way…” Mimi cried out. “It looks like we can’t digivolve any further at this point.” Izzy concluded as he looked down at his digivice. “Then what are we going to do? There is no way we can fight against that thing!” Rita asked, her hand gripping the fabric of Izzy’s shirt. He looked down at her worried and scared expression, not knowing how he could give her a reassuring answer. Right now, he had no idea what they could do. 

Machinedramon released his attack. Rita held on to Mikumon and Izzy with her very being. She wasn’t sure it was possible to survive this, but if it was the end then she was with the two most important to her. The explosion sent everyone flying backwards, and when Rita opened her eyes she was on top of a sunny cliff with Mimi and Tentomon, just the three of them, facing a large old Japanese style building. “N-no way… why here?” Mimi questioned, no one was sure of what just happened, however they somehow managed to survive. “Izzy!” Tentomon called out. “Everyone! Palmon!” Mimi also yelled atop the cliff. Rita watched as Mimi then hung her head in defeat. “I’m tired of calling now…” “I will then!” Rita reassured, not wanting to give up. “Mikumon! Izzy!” Rita cried out, desperate to know if they were both okay. “Patamon! Izzy! Agumon! Izzy!” Tentomon kept calling out. It brought a small smile to Rita’s face to hear him calling Izzy’s name over and over again. Clearly that bond was still there. “Why do I keep calling Izzy so much?” Tentomon questioned to himself. “You guys get along! You two got alone great before!” Mimi reasoned with a smile. “It’s true, you always worried about Izzy, he never took care of himself so I was always happy when you were by his side.” Rita smiled as well. “Huh… I don’t quite understand, but…” Tentomon spoke, still unsure of what everyone was saying. “Izzy, huh? He’d be a great help if he were here…” Mimi spoke sadly. She was right, but for Rita all that mattered to her was that Izzy was okay. Even if she was relieved to be with Mimi and Tentomon, still being separated from Izzy and Mikumon left her feeling scared and lonely, even if she wasn’t alone. “Really, is that so?” Tentomon again questioned, he seemed to enjoy learning more about Izzy. “Yes, Izzy is always the one who gets everyone out of whatever mess we find ourselves in… not only would he be able to figure out what happened but…” Rita spoke, the more she thought about him the more pain she felt. “Rita is very fond of Izzy you see, so we better figure out how to find him and the others, okay?” Mimi smiled, placing her hand on Rita’s back. “Mimi…” Rita blushed as she then felt Mimi stroking her hair in comfort. “I see, are the two of them mates?” Tentomon questioned. Rita turned bright red as a smirk grew on Mimi’s face. “N-no, that’s not! I mean w-we aren’t anything like that!” Rita cried out. “Is that so? I thought there was something, you two seem close.” Tentomon observed. “Nah, give it time! Rita just needs to gather the courage to tell him how she feels!” Mimi explained. “M-Mimi!” Rita cried out once more. “Rita… it’s so obvious to everyone else, I don't get how the two of you can be so dense!” Mimi argued. “C-can we change the subject?” Rita blushed as she avoided eye contact. “I think they would make a perfect couple!” Tentomon proclaimed, Rita’s ears just continued to burn. “Right?” Mimi grinned. “Enough!” Rita yelled, startling the two. “I… I’m not the one he has feelings for… so please… just drop it…” Rita spoke, tears filled her eyes as she just continued on forward. “Where are you going?” Tentomon called out. “To find the others, we can’t just stand up here forever…” Rita explained, not looking back. Mimi felt Rita’s pain, she probably shouldn't have teased her so much. It was obvious to her at least that Izzy had feelings for Rita, even if he had a previous crush on Mimi. Anyone could see that Izzy’s eyes always fell on Rita, the two of them had something that couldn't be explained by anything other than love. If all of them could see it, then why couldn’t Rita? 

Mimi had tried to comfort Rita; however, she was still down. This was her first time in the Digital World so it was understandable that she would be worse off than the others. Mimi believed that she would be able to find the others again, she knew it in her heart. Rita was probably unsure, and it scared her. As it turned dark a distortion image appeared in the sky. Rita and Mimi froze in their tracks to see Sora and Machinedramon. “Is that a distortion?” Rita asked as she turned to Mimi. “Sora’s in trouble… we need to get to her somehow!” Mimi insisted, giving Rita a serious look. “Let’s go! Maybe Izzy will be there as well!” Tentomon declared, his eyes meeting Rita’s. A small smile appeared on her face as she gave them both a nod. Running forward, without any concern for themselves, the three leapt into the distortion. Coming out on the other side, Rita’s eyes widened to see Izzy standing below her with Mikumon in his arms. “Mikumon! Izzy!” Rita cried out as she then stabilized herself on the ground. Mikumon ran up and jumped into Rita’s open arms. “I am so happy to see you!” Mikumon cried. “Same here! I was so worried about you!” Rita embraced her partner tightly before placing her back on the ground, giving her one more look over before her eyes moved up to see Izzy. Before she could even think she ran in his direction, tears in her eyes. Izzy froze when he felt Rita embrace him, her arms locked tightly around his back as she nuzzled her face into his chest. “I’m so happy you’re okay!” Rita cried. Izzy felt flustered since the others were all looking at him with either surprised eyes or suggestive looks. Trying to ignore that he focused back on Rita. He was sure she must have been scared, and it was true he was extremely worried about her. Even Mikumon took notice on his feelings in the time they were together. “It’s okay, we’re all back together now, but we need to find a way out of this mess.” Izzy spoke in a calming voice as he patted Rita’s back. Even if he wished that she would embrace him longer, right now they had bigger issues that needed their attention. “Right…” Rita smiled back, somehow being by Izzy’s side once more made her worries and fears fade. As long as they were together, that was her strength. 

“Oh, it’s MeiMei! Why? How?” Mimi called out as she spotted Meiko holding Meicoomon. Their reunion however was disrupted by Machinedramon approaching them, ready to fire off another attack. Rita looked to see a man standing beside the large Digimon, almost as if he was in control of it. “Who are you? Why are you after Meicoomon?” Tai called out. The man then jumped on top of the large machined Digimon, giving them all an evil looking smirk. “It’s the will of Ygdrasil, now… let’s …play!” He then smiled as Machinedramon was almost fully charged. The group ran the other direction as blast after blast landed. “Isn’t he Gennai?” Matt questioned as he looked back, still running. “Gennai wouldn’t do something like this!” TK reasoned. “Is it that important if I’m Gennai or not? I’m a Digimon supporter!” The man spoke, still riding on top of Machinedramon. Everyone was confused to what he meant by that, even while running for their lives. “Humans and Digimon shouldn't get involved with each other, but Homeostasis chose you guys. The Digimon then became enslaved, and the two worlds grew too close together!” The evil Gennai explained. “We aren’t enslaving them!” Joe yelled back. “To drag you around like that! Don’t you remember the reboot? Or did you forget? Homeostasis chose you guys… and all of you went ahead and rebooted!” He laughed, as they all gathered together on the ground, Rita looked to Izzy wondering if this wasn’t his plan. “You mean that reboot was…!” Izzy spoke. “All under the will of Ygdrasil.” Evil Gennai then snapped his fingers, Machinedramon drew closer to where they were all cornered. While it looked like their number was up this time, Salamon jumped forward with an attack that sent a shockwave at Machinedramon, somehow halting it for enough time for them to make their getaway. 

The group managed to make it to a large ship docked in the water, figuring it would be a safe place to hide until they came up with a plan. “Can’t we get this thing moving?” Mimi questioned. Everyone gathered around Izzy who was doing a sort of scan of the ship. “The electricity and hydraulics are completely out. If we could restart the engine… we’d need to get to the engine room for that.” Izzy concluded. “A huge thing like this can move?” Tentomon seemed rather surprised. Rita watched Izzy as he typed, not wanting all the pressure to fall on him once more, yet knowing it must. Meiko then spoke, catching everyone’s attention. “Everyone! I’m so sorry… this was because of us!” She apologized with a bow. “What are you apologizing for?” Mimi then asked in a chipper tone. “We all know that Yg-something or other is the bad one.” Joe then spoke up. TK nodding with a smile. “Ygdrasil…” Matt pondered when there was a loud sound that shook the ship. An explosion out of the water had everyone holding on tightly to the boat. “Are they going to sink the whole ship?” Joe cried out. “What’re we going to do?” Palmon questioned. “Are they going to destroy us?” Patamon then asked. “I won’t let that happen!” TK called out as Patamon flew into his arms. “He’s right! They’re the ones who are going to get destroyed!” Mimi insisted. “Yeah, that’s right!” Joe agreed. “But we don’t stand a chance!” Gomamon confessed. “We’re virtually on a sinking ship,” Tentomon pointed out. Rita watched as Izzy then turned to his partner. “But we must try, will you help me, Tentomon?” Rita felt her heart race at Izzy’s words. “That’s right!” Tai agreed. “We have questions for him too,” Matt added. “Like where is the food?” Agumon jumped in. “Jeez you…” Tai sighed. Another large blast shook the ship once more. Bracing for the impact, Rita held tightly onto Mikumon as well as the ship itself. “This won’t last much longer! Sora and Mochizuki, evacuate to a higher place!” Izzy ordered. “But…” Sora spoke. “We’ll be the bait!” Matt called out as him and Tai ran towards the exit. “Let’s go Agumon!” Tai called as his partner followed. “Wait Tai!” Kari also followed after her brother. The rest agreed to abandon ship as well, leaving only Sora and Meiko with their injured partners onboard. Finding a place to set up, Rita sat beside Izzy as he opened his laptop. “Izzy, what’re you going to do?” Tentomon asked, everyone gathering around. “We’re going to defeat him!” Izzy informed, Rita felt herself blush as he typed away. He was so amazing! Izzy then turned his screen to the others who were hovering over. The plan laid out for everyone to see. The group nodded before running off in different directions. Explosions started and even though Rita worried about Mimi running off without her, she wanted to protect Izzy since his plan was their only chance. Evil Gennai and Machinedramon sent off a few blasts. Rita cowered towards Izzy, Mikumon reaching out to touch her back. “It will be okay, have faith in my plan.” Izzy reassured as he continued to type. “I trust you…” Rita smiled, her hand gently touched Izzy’s shoulder. Her warmth wasn’t a distraction, it only gave him more reason to work faster. He would protect her, he would always protect her.


	14. Chapter 14

As Izzy continued with preparations for his plan, Rita listened to the words that the evil Gennai spoke, hoping to understand why all of this was happening. “Humans are so pitiful for having to live in fear of death. So incomplete! But Digimon are forever. Even if they break, they will be reborn as Digi-Eggs. Though, there are a few exceptions sometimes. If Digimon die in the human world, then they can’t be revived. Aww, how sad! That’s where a reboot comes in. All those guys who died over there can come back! Now’s the time everyone joins hands to concur the human world! Right? Meicoomon.” Rita clenched, just what was he trying to use Meicoomon for? And what was she exactly? “Meiccomon?” TK questioned as he was knocked to the ground. “Yep! She’s the key to destroying the world.” Evil Gennai responded. Lucky for TK, Patamon came in time to his rescue. Rita turned back to Izzy, hoping he would be finished soon since the others were in trouble. They seemed to be holding their own for the time, Izzy had just finished, giving Rita a smile as he rushed to the edge of the cliff. “Now!” He called out to Tentomon. “Over here!” Tentomon announced himself as he was projected at least 50 times his size on the ice walls. Machinedramon fell for it like Izzy knew he would, firing off a blast at the ice, resulting in the wall crashing down on him. Rita threw her arms around Izzy in celebration of his plan working. Izzy blushed, feeling happy for more than one reason. Tentomon hurried back and Rita picked up Mikumon as they slid down the cliff towards the others. “Everyone!” Tentomon called out. “Tentomon shrunk,” Palmon spoke. “That was just a hologram earlier.” Izzy responded. “It was so cool!” Mikumon beamed. “Izzy, you’re amazing, you can do anything!” Tentomon praised. “Yep, he’s amazing all right!” Rita smiled. “That’s our Izzy!” Mimi grinned. Izzy just blushed, “it’s nothing…” “What about him?” TK questioned as everyone looked to the large chunk of ice that had Machinedramon pinned. The group looked at their partners with a smile. Those bonds were still there, even after the reboot they were connected. 

Another large shock startled the group, Machinedramon had thrown the large fallen ice wall off of him, reaching out his claw to grab Biyomon. Sora then jumped on the claw herself, being lifted high into the air. “Sora!” Mimi and Rita both cried out. The Digimon then all ran forward to help, even if they were only at Rookie level. Machinedramon swatted them away as if they were flies. They needed to be able to digivolve if they stood a chance. “Let go of Biyomon!” Sora yelled. He only responded by throwing his claw to the floor. “Sora!” TK called out. She wouldn’t run, she wouldn’t leave Biyomon when she needed help. Rita could only watch in horror as Sora was thrown against the ice wall, being crushed between it and Machinedramon’s large claw. She continued to cry out in pain, but she wouldn't leave, Rita knew she wouldn't. Rita saw as Sora reached out for her partner, her digivice started to glow. The result of Biyomon digivolving all the way to her Mega form of Phoenixmon. “That’s…?” Izzy spoke, everyone stunned to be looking up at the large glowing, golden bird. Sora was safe on her back as Phoenixmon lifted Machinedramon up into the air with her large talons, sending him flying into the ground. “She digivolved?” Mimi spoke in shock. Izzy started to type away on his computer. “That’s Phoenixmon, Biyomon’s Mega form.” Sora was then tossed from her Digimon’s back, falling down to the ground. Joe managed to reach her in time, catching her in his arms. “Sora!” Both Rita and Mimi cried out as they ran up to her. Looking over to TK it seemed Patamon was ready to fight as well. Mimi gave him the thumbs up as Patamon then digivolved into his Mega form as well. Izzy seemed shocked that there was another new Mega form before his eyes. Rita then ran back over to him and Mikumon. “Izzy, I want to help you more!” Tentomon spoke, Izzy turned to look at his partner. “Tentomon…” “Me too Rita! I want to digivolve again and again!” Mikumon’s eyes sparkled. “Mikumon…” Rita smiled back. Izzy and Rita looked at each other and nodded. “Yes, let’s join them!” Izzy said for the both of them. Rita held onto her digivice as well. Mikumon had never digivolved past her Champion form of Tsukimon before. She couldn’t help but be excited. 

Tentomon had digivolved all the way to his Mega form, Rita was happy to see HerculesKabuterimon again, this time in a less depression situation. Rita saw that this time Mikumon had digivolved to her Ultimate form for the first time ever. Mikotomon was the result, looking like a beautiful moon goddess. Her face and hair resembled Tsukimon, although she no longer appeared to be a fairy. Now she looked like a celestial being, graceful and enchanting. The Digimon all charged in to fight, Rita watched as Mikotomon glided through the air, almost as if she was flying. “Have you ever seen this form of Mikumon before?” Izzy asked as he turned to Rita. “No… she never has gone past Tsukimon… she looks so beautiful…” Tears filled Rita’s eyes as she gave Izzy a happy smile. He could tell that Mikumon being able to digivolve this far meant a lot to her. The DigiDestined watched as their partners worked together, firing off their ultimate moves and completely destroying Machinedramon. Running to catch their falling partners, Rita’s arms opened wide to catch Mikumon, squeezing her tightly. “You were amazing! I’m so proud of you!” Rita cried as she rubbed her face against her partner. “I’m so happy I could help! I hope someday I can digivolve to Mega like the others though…” Mikumon seemed a little down she didn’t get as far. Rita just shook her head. “You had never gotten that far before like the others had, so don’t feel bad! I know someday you will reach Mega as well! I will be here by your side for when it happens, I promise.” Rita again snuggled into Mikumon who seemed much happier now. Rita then ran over to Izzy and Motimon. “Motimon you were so awesome!” Rita waved, making Motimon blush. “Thank you Rita.” He smiled back. “It seems like our bonds are still there after all,” Izzy also smiled. “Of course they are!” Rita shot back, as though it was obvious. She then rubbed Motimon’s head affectionately before giving Izzy another gentle smile. 

“Is everyone okay?” Tai called out as him, Matt, and Kari came running their way, their partner Digimon following behind. “Yes, somehow.” Izzy revealed, relived to see the others were also okay. “We defeated Machinedramon,” Joe stated proudly. Tai and Matt then faced Sora with a confused look, she just greeted them normally with a smile. Rita was happy to see that things turned out okay in the end for her. “Then let’s go back to MeiMei!” Mimi suggested, everyone then turned to walk back to the ship. Another loud blast shook the ground, just when they thought things had managed to calm down for a second. Rita looked to Izzy with worry, he didn’t know where it came from, but whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be good for them. The sky started to open with many distortions, almost like data was spilling out from them. The Digimon seemed to be intrigued, like this was some sort of natural phenomenon, however the humans all knew the trouble this meant. Looking closer into the openings, it became clear that they were being shown the real world. Buildings could be seen in almost all of them. If that wasn’t bad enough, Digimon were taking to the skies and flying towards the distortions, as if they were all heading to the real world. Tai was the first to bolt back to the ship, his timing was lucky, managing to save Meiko from a fully digivolved Meicoomon’s attack. The others caught up to watch her fly up to the sky, again towards the distortions. “The key to destroying the world…” TK muttered. “The key to destroying the world?” Tai then asked, wondering what TK meant. “That’s what Gennai called Meicoomon.” TK explained. “You should have never been born… that’s what he said…” Meiko spoke sadly. “There are no Digimon that shouldn’t have been born!” Mimi defended. Meiko looked broken, she seemed so lost, yet Rita didn’t know what she could do for her. “But… if Meicoomon shows up in our world with that much destructive power…” Izzy’s words were a harsh reality. Rita knew what it meant, after all Meicoomon was so gone at this point she almost killed Meiko, her very own partner… the person she loved the most in this world. “This is looking bad too!” Matt called out as he walked over to the edge of the ship. A bunch of angry looking Digimon were headed their way. “It doesn’t really look like they wanna be friends…” Mimi observed. It wasn’t looking good for both worlds, they had to move and come up with a plan, and quick!

The group moved out, soon it was light out and everyone was in a rush for some answers. Running through the woods, suddenly the forest disappeared and they were thrown down a rocky cliff. A loud thud and a cloud of dust surrounded them all. “That hurt! Jeez what’s up with all this? It became a slope all of a sudden! The ground became a swamp earlier too!” Mimi cried out. “With this we don't have a clue where or how to run!” Joe complained out of frustration. “Meicoomon’s existence may be causing something that goes beyond a reboot.” Izzy concluded. “Which means we’ve gotta stop Meicoomon?” Matt surmised. The ground then started to shake as it then split open with large Digimon popping up. They weren’t at too high a level so the Digimon were able to take care of things while their partners ran further into the forest ahead of them. If that wasn’t enough, in the forest the vines suddenly started acting alive, making their way up the human’s legs, trapping them. “What is all this?” Mimi again cried out. The Digimon making it back in time were able to free their partners. Rita stuck close to Izzy when the vines had pulled them up higher into the trees. The girls all cried out, Agumon sent a fire blast to try destroying the vines. Everyone then was freed with the help of his or her partner. “Thanks Mikumon!” Rita smiled before turning to Izzy. “Ouch!” He groaned. “Izzy are you okay?” Rita called out as her and Mikumon rushed to his side. “Are you okay?” Tentomon questioned. “Thanks, I’m okay.” Izzy spoke with relief. “Rita are you hurt?” Izzy then asked. “I’m just fine, it isn’t my first time falling out of a tree.” Rita smiled, only making Izzy wonder what had she been up to then. Getting to their feet, everyone ran out of the forest again, when of course once again the ground disappeared from below their feet. Everyone cried out as they fell down the slope onto the hard ground, yet again. 

Catching their breath, the group checked to make sure everyone was okay once more. “For now it looks like nothing is coming after us.” TK observed. “What’s going on?” Tai questioned, everyone would have liked to know that answer. “I remember when we first came here, we were attacked by Kuwagamon…” Tai continued. “But we were never attacked by the forest plants before…” Sora finished. “It hates us…” Kari then spoke, catching everyone’s attention. “What?” Tai questioned. “The Digital World… hates us… they think we’re a nuisance.” Kari confessed. Rita felt she was right, the way they forced themselves in the Digital World… maybe it really did hate them. “What do you mean the Digital World thinks we’re a nuisance?” TK inquired, however there were no answers. How could they answer something like that? No one wanted to believe that, even if it was the truth.

It started to get dark so the group moved on to somewhere safe, away from the forest. Setting up a campfire everyone gathered, looking up at the distorted sky. “It suddenly became night when it was bright just minutes ago.” Sora mused. “I wonder if this’s really night?” TK then added. Rita watched as the pink lights danced in the sky, a curious sight, yet it held a sense of foreboding. “Ugh, if we weren’t in this situation they’d look pretty, like shooting stars.” Mimi groaned. “If they were shooting stars then I’d wish for them to take us home.” Joe sighed. “We’ve got to get back somehow, we gotta stop Meicoomon.” Matt reminded the group. “Izzy, isn’t there a way to find the distortions and get home?” Tai asked. Rita looked down at Izzy typing away, wanting to reach out and touch his hand. “I’ve been trying to locate the distortions this whole time… but it’s no use…” Izzy responded, it was obvious to Rita he was getting down on himself again, although with the situation they were in, she couldn’t blame him for it. “I… couldn’t stop Mei…” Meiko spoke sadly. “It isn’t your fault MeiMei!” Mimi defended. “I’m Mei’s partner… but… I couldn't…” She was clearly blaming herself, Rita wanted to tell her she was wrong, but if she was in Meiko’s position, Rita would be feeling the same way. Everyone looked at her sadly, having a partner, you can imagine the pain that Meiko was going through right now. “Just being a partner doesn't mean everything will go smoothly, that’s normal. Having one listen to the other isn’t what it means to be a partner.” Matt admitted, throwing more wood on the fire. “Yeah, that’s true…” TK smiled softly as he agreed with his brother. “I mean… we’ve both got a lot of faults, but that’s what kinda balances us out.” Mimi stated, looking down at Palmon who was asleep in her lap. Rita did the same, brushing her finger over Mikumon’s cheek as she too slept. “Isn’t that why we’re partners?” Sora surmised. “I’ve been observing everyone’s bonds with their partners. Each connection is different, but a strong tie is always there. I wonder if me and Mei have that?” Meiko questioned. Sora then reached out her hand to overlap Meiko’s. “That's why you came all this way to see her, right? So you don’t run from the fact that you're her partner. No matter what happens!” Sora smiled. “But… Mei transformed because I came…” Mei confessed. “What?” Tai questioned, everyone seemed shocked by that. “What do you mean?” TK inquired. “I’m sure it’s because of me… what was I chosen for? I can’t do anything, moreover Mei is…” Everyone listened carefully to Meiko’s words, her heartbroken words. “MeiMei…” Mimi spoke sadly. “I’m scared… if I can’t do anything, why was I even chosen? There should’ve been someone more worthy chosen. It’s because I was chosen, that’s what caused all of this!” Meiko went on when Tai came forward, clasping her shoulder in his hand. “Now don’t say that. We became friends because you were chosen, right? That’s why we’re all together here, right?” Tai smiled. Meiko looked around as everyone gave her a warm and gentle smile. “Don't close yourself off. When people become lonely, a thorn grows in their heart… I was also like that.” Sora explained. Kari then took hold of Meiko’s hands. “Don’t worry, I’m positive your heart will reach Meicoomon. I’m sure the things you really want to express will get across to her. You two are partners.” Kari smiled. “The fact that you love Meicoomon is enough, you were chosen for that reason, because you would do anything for her.” Rita added, there wasn’t anything she wouldn't do for her partner after all. “My feelings…” Meiko spoke softly. “Please trust your partner, and also yourself who was chosen as her partner. Don’t give in to a weak heart, we shouldn't be that weak. No… even if you are weak, we, your friends, will always be at your side. There must be a reason why you and all of us were chosen.” Kari explained beautifully, her words touched Rita. “A helpless, chosen kid like me who’s afraid of her partner?” Meiko contemplated. “Not a chosen kid… we’re the DigiDestined!” Matt smiled. “Please don’t carry it all on your shoulders, share it with us.” Sora also smiled. Agumon then suddenly sat up from his sleep. “What are you sharing? I want some too!” “Just sleep!” Gatomon groaned. “Huh?” Agumon looked confused. “Agumon…” Tai just sighed. “Jeez you…” Matt shook his head. “There’s nothing? Then goodnight!” Agumon responded before falling back over. “Give me a break, I don’t want everyone thinking we’re all the same as him” Gabumon sighed. The group then laughed, it was nice having their Digimon with them, somehow it was more relaxing. 

“But with this incident with Meicoomon, the Digimon are going to be criticized again.” Izzy surmised. His words made everyone feel a little down again, they all wanted to protect their partners just like they had been protecting them all along. “Agumon and everyone all fought hard to protect us here, so we’ve got to protect them too. Same goes for Meicoomon! Whatever happens in front of you, don't run. Let’s face it together.” Tai declared. The group all agreed unanimously. “Meicoomon is your important partner, no matter what she looks like. She’s waiting for your help Meiko.” Kari reasoned. “My help?” Meiko pondered. “Let’s go save Meicoomon!” Kari insisted. Meiko might continue to blame herself, but Rita knew better. They were a team and no matter what, they would do what they could for her. They wouldn't let that bond break. That was the wonderful thing about being a DigiDestined, it meant you never had to fight alone. 

After getting some rest the DigiDestined were now faced with a rainstorm. Taking shelter in a nearby cave, it was starting to get dark and gloomy. The Digimon were watching the rain falling while their partners sat further on in the cave. TK then got up and walked towards Kari who didn’t seem like herself. “Kari… you said the Digital World hates us earlier, Right?” He asked. “Get out… it’s like the Digital World is saying that to us. The skies, the land, even the air… none of it is accepting us.” she spoke. Rita felt like Kari was right, Izzy had mentioned before that Kari had some special power, even as a DigiDestined. She somehow seemed closer to the world then the others and could sense things that the rest missed. “That’s not true,” Gatomon spoke as she and the other Digimon walked back to them. “At least we don’t detest you guys!” She continued. “Yep, I wanna be with you guys forever!” Patamon agreed as he flew into TK’s arms. “That’s right, I love Mimi and everyone!” Palmon smiled as she hugged Mimi. “Palmon, I love you too!” Mimi called out as she hugged her partner back. Kari then got up to hug her partner with a smile. “That’s right,” she spoke. Rita looked down at Mikumon who had also jumped on her lap. This world can’t fully reject them if their Digimon still want to be by their sides. That thought was reassuring, even if things seemed to be only getting worse. 

“Well, looking at this situation, I can understand why you feel like this world is attacking us.” Joe groaned. “It’s probably trying to get rid of its contaminant.” Izzy reasoned, his theory made sense to Rita at least. “Contaminant?” Sora questioned. “We may be seen as a virus to the current Digital World.” Izzy explained. “A virus? How rude!” Mimi cried out. “The current Digital World? You mean it was different before?” Matt questioned. “Is the reboot the cause?” Tai inquired. “I don’t know, but I feel that something is changing from the Digital World that we know.” Izzy replied, no doubt feeling uneasy for not having the answer. “We are… going to be disposed of by the Digital World.” Kari spoke as though she was in some sort of trance. The group seemed shocked by this reveal, but to Rita it again made sense. It wouldn’t surprise her if a distortion opened and kicked them all back to the real world again. But hopefully it wouldn't do so without their partner Digimon. “We are a nuisance…” Kari then added in a sad tone. “Why? Why are we a nuisance?” TK cried out. “Maybe it’s because we’re the DigiDestined?” Tai mused. It was a depressing thought… at one time DigiDestined meant they could save the world, and now, the word seemed cursed.

As time passed on the rain finally came to a stop. “It stopped raining!” Mimi announced. Walking outside the others froze in shock, something Rita didn’t understand why. Walking out into the forest, the DigiDestined minus Rita, Kari and Meiko seemed like they had wandered into a dream. “Isn’t this… where we first came to the Digital World and met Agumon?” Tai questioned. Everyone looked around in awe before the sudden sensation of falling hit them. They were again all dragged down into a distortion. Rita grabbed onto Mikumon, holding her tight as they all plummeted downwards, unsure of where they would land once more. Rita felt her consciousness return as the bright sun blinded her eyes. Looking up she saw buildings, quickly scanning the area it appeared that they were all again sent back home. “Is this…?” Tai questioned. “We came back?” Joe asked. “Seriously? How lucky!” Mimi cheered. Rita then noticed that people around them were staring, some in fear. “Tai, where are we?” Agumon called out. “Oh this is…” Tai spoke, unsure of how to explain… “Our…” Sora then began. “Is this your world?” Biyomon presumed. “Hey, that’s a Digimon!” A kid called out. Although the reaction had parents pulling their children away in fear as some kids then started to cry. Rita looked over to Izzy, she could tell by his reaction this situation wasn’t good. “Why is she crying? We didn’t do anything,” Agumon seemed rather confused. “Maybe because it’s a child, a protective instinct maybe?” Gatomon reasoned. “Do we look that dangerous?” Gabumon asked. “Ah, how shocking.” Palmon seemed sad. “Don’t worry, Palmon always looks cute!” Mimi smiled. “Much obliged!” Palmon grinned back. “I think you guys are missing the point…” Rita sighed. “Then let’s just become friends with them!” Agumon proposed. “I agree!” Patamon smiled. “You guys there, what’s the matter? Are you okay?” Everyone turned to see a police officer heading towards them. “We’re fine, we we’re just messing around.” TK smiled. “Could those be… Digimon?” The officer questioned with wide eyes. “Quick!” Tai called out as he grabbed Meiko’s arm and started to run. Everyone grabbed their partner and followed after him without hesitation. “Hey! Wait right there you kids!” The officer called out. They were in a lot of trouble now. 

“I’m so sick of running!” Mimi cried out. “It’s not a matter of being sick of it!” Izzy argued back. “He’s right, we have no choice now!” Rita added. “Tai it’s because you ran all of a sudden!” Matt lectured. “We kinda ran after him too…” TK pointed out. “We must look 100% suspicious now!” Sora concluded. “Well we can’t help it now! We’re already running!” Tai defended. They kept running towards a gate which of course had to be locked. Officers were now starting to surround them. The DigiDestined hid their partners behind them, unsure of what to do next. “Biyomon run!” Sora ordered. “I can’t leave you!” Biyomon argued back. “What’ll we do?” Matt questioned in a hushed voice. “Izzy, hid Agumon and them!” Tai insisted. “Hide?” Izzy pondered. “Wouldn’t your laptop work in this world?” Tai questioned. Rita was surprised Izzy hadn’t already thought of that, more impressed by the fact that Tai was the first to suggest it. “Oh!” Izzy realized, quickly sitting his bag down, pulling out the laptop and calling up the program. Rita crouched down beside Izzy, watching his fingers moving as fast as humanly possible. The Digimon looked like they were ready to attack, looking at Mikumon, Rita gave her a gentle smile, one that was reassuring that things would be okay. “It’s open, hop in!” Izzy ordered as he faced the screen towards the Digimon. “Hurry Mikumon!” Rita called out. “What’s this?” Palmon questioned. “Never mind just get in!” Mimi argued. Mikumon was the first to leap towards the screen, she trusted whatever Rita and Izzy had planned. The other Digimon were worried about their partners, however they eventually agreed and jumped in as well. Izzy then quickly closed his laptop as him and Rita both took a heavy breath of relief. However now they had the police to deal with. “This is defiantly going to affect my school record…” Joe sighed. “You’re worried about collage at a time like this?” Mimi teased. “Of course, since we’re back.” Joe reasoned. “In a sense, Joe’s ability to adapt is impressive,” TK smiled. The others chuckled, at least they were back and their partners were safe for now. However, explaining this to the police wouldn’t go as smoothly Rita feared.


	15. Chapter 15

They were brought to the police station for questioning. Rita didn’t know much about the police here in Japan, but she figured they took things even more serious then back home. “What happened to the Digimon that were with you?” A higher up questioned. “The police officers witnessed that all of you were with Digimon too.” The other man sitting there spoke. “We were just with our friends,” Tai answered. “Friends?” One man inquired. “Is it wrong to be with our friends?” Tai yelled. “Digimon are a highly dangerous species right now.” One official stated. “They aren’t dangerous!” Sora cried out. “That's right! They are really good Digimon!” Mimi also defended. “Don't you know what the world is going through right now because of these Digimon?” The man yelled back. Everyone seemed shocked, what had happened since they had been gone? “What do you mean?” Izzy asked. The men both looked at each other before there was a knock on the door. One of the men then got up to answer it. “Excuse me, there’s someone here to claim custody of the children.” Rita overheard, she wondered if it was Himekawa or Mr. Nishijima. Rita was expecting this to be a long and tedious discussion. She and the others were relieved when Mr. Nishijima came to their rescue, loading them all up in the same car that brought Mimi and Rita to the others originally. “I know you guys are tired and I’d like to take you all home… but your homes are surrounded by the media.” Mr. Nishijima explained. “The media?” Mimi cried out. “Looks like some info was leaked…” He then added. “Then we can’t go home?” Joe stood up. “Don’t worry, you will, but not now. For now, I’ll be taking custody over you guys. I have your parent’s consent.” Mr. Nishijima explained. “W-wait even mine? Do my parents overseas know about this?” Rita panicked. “Not entirely, when talking to your aunt and uncle about Mimi Tachikawa I asked what to do about you. They gave me permission for you as your current guardians, but also assured me that they would explain to your parents what is going on if they were trying to contact you.” He answered. Rita clenched her fists. “Did you not tell your parents that you were going to the Digital World?” Tai asked. “Well no… I said that I would be going on a trip with Mimi over summer break and wouldn’t be able to contact them during…” Rita admitted. “I see…” Izzy pondered, Rita must have been trying to shield her parents from worrying about her as much as possible. 

“What on earth is going on?” Kari questioned, getting back to the point on hand. “It’s Meicoomon…” Mr. Nishijima confessed. “Mei?” Meiko questioned. Mr. Nishijima then handed Tai a photograph. It was a dark photo that looked like an explosion took place, however, it was clear that a part of Meicoomon’s body was in the shot. “That’s Meicoomon in the picture, right?” Mr. Nishijima asked. “Yes, what has she done?” Meiko then asked in a panic. “I’ll tell you when we arrive.” He replied. “Are we heading to that whatever-bureau?” Tai inquired. “No, somewhere more relaxed. It’s summer break and everyone’s gone, so it’s under the media’s radar.” He smiled, Rita felt a little more reassured. She had an inkling to where they might go and wasn’t wrong when they arrived at the school. Inside the DigiDestined gathered to watch the news. It showed the destruction that Meicoomon had caused at a factory plant. It was a horrible sight to see, although Rita knew it must be even more painful for Meiko. “Mei did this?” Meiko questioned, almost as if she wasn’t believing what she was seeing. It’s just like with Kuwagamon,” Matt added. “It’s worse than that. There was this much damage with only Meicoomon causing one explosion. Imagine if all of these Digimon went out of control…” TK pointed out. “The Earth… would face an unprecedented crisis….” Izzy concluded. Rita’s worry only grew; however, a slight relief came as she saw none of this was happening where her parents were. “So basically… we’ve got a knife to our throats.” Matt proclaimed. “We’ve gotta stop it! Let’s chase them away!” Mimi suggested. “Calm down,” Tai then spoke, catching everyone’s attention. “Tai?” Matt spoke. “If we just randomly fight it will be the same as Odaiba.” Tai reasoned. “So are we just going to sit here and watch? The world is in danger!” Matt yelled back. “I wanna jump out there myself, but just like you said… the battle from here out is going to involve the fate of the entire world. And that’s why we can’t let the same thing happen again. For Agumon and everyone too…” Tai reasoned in a very calm and collected manor. “I know that, of course…” Matt replied, the room then grew silent. 

“Jeez! Meicoomon’s sure done it this time!” Joe complained. “Joe!” Kari then called out. Joe realizing what he said. “Agh! No, um…” he then muttered. “But… where did Meicoomon end up going?” Mimi questioned. “She may have already been removed.” Mr. Nishijima announced. Everyone turned to him in shock. “Removed?” Meiko questioned in sadness. “What do you mean, Mr. Nishijima?” Tai asked in fear. Rita looked over to Izzy and then to Meiko, she didn't like where this was going. He then sat them down as though this was going to be a difficult conversation. “Homeostasis ordered Meicoomon’s removal?” Izzy questioned. Rita looked to Meiko who muttered under her breath in sadness. “A existence undesired by all… an existence that shouldn’t have been born… then I as well… I’m an undesired partner.” “Stop it Meiko!” Kari called out. “Don’t put yourself down! Same with Meicoomon too.” Matt argued. “Is this… something a desired person would do?” Meiko questioned, turning to look at the TV. “And I couldn’t stop it…” She continued. “Right now, there is someone who desires you the most!” Tai then spoke, making Meiko look up to face him. “Meicoomon,” Tai continued, a glimmer of recognition was visible in Meiko’s eyes. Everyone agreed as they gave her a serious look. No one wanted her to give up, none of them would let her. 

“I think we and our partners are each other’s hope.” Kari admitted. Rita felt that statement to be very accurate. “That’s right MeiMei! You, no we are Meicoomon’s hope!” Mimi argued. “They’re right Meiko, please be strong for her as well!” Rita added. “We’ll find hope for sure!” Sora announced. “There’s something bothering me, why was Meicoomon even targeted at all?” TK inquired. The group then turned to look at Izzy’s laptop. “These Digimon appeared after Meicoomon showed up.” TK clarified. The room again grew silent when Izzy jumped. “A switch to turn on the other Digimon… in theory… what if that was Meicoomon?” Izzy thought aloud as he glanced over his screen. “That’s the whole reason Meicoomon was targeted?” Matt then questioned. “The destruction of the present world…” Joe spoke. “An existence that wants to exterminate mankind…” Sora added. “Isn’t that?” Mimi questioned, looking up. “Ygdrasil.” Mr. Nishijima revealed. “Then it may have been Ygdrasil’s will to remove us from the Digital World too.” Izzy commented. “What the heck is Homeostasis doing? … so that’s why!” He then realized. “That’s why it wants to remove Meicoomon?” Kari concluded. Everyone looked to Meiko when Agumon’s voice called out Tai’s name from the computer. “What’s up?” Tai asked as he moved closer to the screen. “I’m hungry!” Agumon groaned. Really he should have figured as much. Everyone just laughed. “You never change wherever you go,” Tai smiled. “Wherever I go I get hungry!” Agumon argued. “Agreed!” The other Digimon called out as well. “What should we do about dinner?” Sora asked. “I’ll go buy something,” Mr. Nishijima announced as he stood up. A food break could probably do everyone some good right now. 

Mr. Nishijima had returned with a ton of bags from the convenient store. Rita watched happily as the humans and Digimon tore into the packages. Rita herself wasn’t that hungry, her stomach was still in knots. Still, the Digimon seemed pleased and that was enough for now. “It’s so quiet,” Sora observed. “Yeah, I can’t believe the world’s in great danger right now.” Mimi agreed. “Isn’t it scary?” Kari asked. “Scary?” Sora questioned. “We can never understand how serious a matter is unless it actually occurs around us.” Kari spoke, the mood then again dropped before the lights suddenly went out. “Huh? What?” Mimi called out. “Since we’re all gathered here, a summer’s night at school would call for this, right?” TK’s voice spoke before a flashlight was lit under his face. “What? What’s going on?” Palmon questioned. “Scary stories?” Mimi called out happily. “Yep!” TK smiled. “So stupid, cut it out.” Matt groaned. “Matt’s surprisingly bad at stories like this in the dark.” TK admitted. “I-I’m just saying this isn't the time to be doing this sort of stuff!” Matt defended, clearly hiding his weakness. Rita chuckled as she watched the girls huddle across the table, whispering to each other. “Hey! What are you all whispering about! I’m not afraid of some ghosts, okay?!” Matt cried out. The Digimon then all huddled doing the same thing. “You guys too! Stop whispering!” Matt continued to yell. 

Joe was the first to start. “I was all alone in the classroom… and no one else was there… there I saw the results of our practice exam… it was an utterly terrifying score!” Joe cried out. Everyone looked displeased. Rita sighed, she was hoping for something actually scary so she had an excuse to slide closer over to Izzy. “Oh, jeez, back to that!” Mimi groaned. “Why make it a joke?” TK mused. “What do I say? You said to share a scary story so I told you my own bone chilling experience!” Joe argued. “That’s completely based on your own fears…” Sora observed. “Well, yeah! It’s more realistic that way!” Joe reasoned. “It wasn’t even funny as a joke…” Tentomon pointed out. “So my scores here are terrible as well…” Joe sighed. “How about Rita go next?” TK smiled. “Me?” Rita questioned. “Yeah, since you are from overseas you must have some good stories!” TK concluded. “Well Canada isn’t that scary… nor old, I was hoping to hear more Japanese horror stories, I have read that Japan has some really good ones.” Rita revealed. “Do you like these sorts of things?” Izzy questioned. “Yeah Rita has always been fascinated by paranormal things, though only the really scary movies based on true stories actually get to her.” Mimi revealed. “Eh hehe… well there is one place I can think of that happens to be close to where I live.” Rita spoke as she took the flashlight. “Oh I want to hear!” Mikumon beamed with excitement. “About 100 years or so ago the waterfront station was built downtown. Now a day there is a sea bus that can take you across the water or sky trains that go to other popular locations. There have been stories and sightings of ghosts, many people have reported seeing the same ones. There are these three woman who are sighted all the time, always waiting for a train that will never arrive. At night a ghost of a Jazz Age flapper reputedly dances along the corridors. Even more gruesome is the sighting of a decapitated man, believed to have been killed while working on the rail tracks.” Rita went on. The others felt a chill, especially Matt. “Woah… have you ever seen any yourself?” Joe questioned. “No I haven’t… but I had a friend who’s house is haunted, you can hear the piano being played at night sometimes. Although… my cat passed away just before I moved to Japan, I saw her a few times. But I always got a warm feeling from her, like she was worried about me and wanted to make sure I would be okay…” Rita recalled with sadness, she missed that cat every day. “That’s really cool!” Mikumon smiled. “It’s not much, sorry I don’t have anything more personal to share.” Rita apologized. “Not at all, that was great to hear! I’ll go next then.” TK smiled as he took the flashlight from Rita. Izzy’s eyes glanced over her figure. It seemed to him like Rita took a fascination to ghosts almost because she wondered what kept their spirits around after death. It was just like her to be concerned about people like that, even ones she never met. 

“This is a story about my friend,” TK started. “Hah, a start like that sounds super fake already!” Mimi chimed. “Like telling us we’ll be scared.” Sora added. “Aw come on?” TK sulked. “What about Meiko?” Biyomon asked. “Huh?” She then looked up. “Do you know any scary stories?” Biyomon questioned. “Oh, I wanna listen!” Patamon called out as he flew over to sit with Meiko as well. Meiko then finally smiled as she patted his head. It seemed like all the Digimon were trying to cheer her up. “Are there any stories from Tottori?” Kari inquired. “I-I’m not very familiar with those kinds of stories…” Meiko admitted. “Or any stories of your own?” Palmon suggested. “My own stories? I’m not exactly very good…” Meiko pondered. “You don't need to be good!” Tai smiled. Everyone gave her a smile and a nod as well. “Um… then uh… this was when I was in elementary school…” Meiko began. “Oh this sounds realistic.” Izzy interjected. “There was a street that usually had streetlights lit, just on that day, none of them were lit. I usually took that street home… so I didn’t think anything of it as I walked on. Then I heard a bicycle bell ring behind me… and someone on a bike rode past me. But I only heard its sound… and then…” Meiko continued. “W-wait, is this going to continue?” Mimi questioned, seemingly scared. “Yes, this is where it got strange.” Meiko explained. “So I was looking ahead of me, but this time I hear that bicycle bell right behind me… and that bike stopped right there… when I turned around…” Suddenly the door flew open and everyone cried out. Rita instinctively dove into Izzy’s lap. The light then turned on to show a confused looking Mr. Nishijima. “What’s going on? Why are the lights off?” he questioned. Rita looked up to see Izzy blush when he noticed Rita clinging to him. “S-sorry!” She cried out as she jumped back. “N-no it’s okay!” Izzy insisted. “Well I thought I should take you all to the hotel soon.” Mr. Nishijima spoke as he continued in. “A hotel?” Mimi questioned. “We can’t go home?” Sora asked. “The media still seems to be there, we've got a hotel for tonight.” Mr. Nishijima explained. “We’re fine here,” Tai concluded. “At school?” Kari questioned. “What? I wanna shower though!” Mimi whined. “Just use the clubroom’s showers,” Tai reasoned. “Hmm… Okay! The stories were just getting good too!” Mimi smiled. “Nothing’s getting good!” Matt yelled, everyone then faced him. “If you’re scared then you can go to the hotel if you want.” TK smiled. “Don’t be stupid!” Matt yelled back. The girls then ganged up to whisper again like before. “Hey, you guys! Stop whispering!” Matt continued to yell. “Mr. Nishijima, is that okay?” Tai asked. “What? Umm…” he pondered. “Hey, hey, I haven’t said anything yet!” Joe jumped in. “Then you want to go to the hotel alone?” Mimi questioned with a smile. “I’ll stay…” Joe gave in. “Fine, but make sure to call home.” Mr. Nishijima insisted. “Oh yeah, we haven’t called yet…” Sora realized. “It slipped our minds, they must be worried.” Mimi mentioned. Rita wondered about her parents, if they were aware of what had happened. 

Everyone got up to go make their calls. Izzy watched as Rita looked down at her cell sadly. “Are you going to call your parents?” Izzy asked. “I… don't know… I mean for one it’s really early where they are, I wouldn't want to wake them…” Rita spoke. “I’m sure they would rather hear from you; did you get a message from them or anything?” Izzy inquired. “Yes, they both want me to call them as soon as I can. I uh emailed them a few hours ago to let them know I’m okay. I told them it is best if they both three way call me so I can explain things to them together… I hope they listen…” Rita sighed. “I see… umm Rita?” Izzy spoke nervously. “What is it?” Rita questioned with a slight head tilt. “Do you want to come with me? I mean my mom for sure would be worried about you and likely want to talk to you anyway…” Izzy blushed. Rita just smiled as she walked over to him. “Thanks…” she blushed. Mikumon and Tentomon remained quiet as they continued to observe the odd behavioral patterns of the two. Heading to the computer room, Rita sat and watched as Izzy talked to his mother and father, assuring them that they were all okay and safe at the school. Rita was sure that Izzy’s parents would be relieved to know that, but still… it wasn’t over yet. “R-Rita my mother wants to talk to you…” Izzy spoke nervously as he handed Rita the phone. “Oh okay… hello?” Rita spoke as she held Izzy’s phone to her ear. “Rita dear, how are you?” Mrs. Izumi questioned, still some worry was notable in her tone. “Oh I’m doing just fine, how about you? I hope that you weren’t too worried…” Rita responded. “Well as I mother I can’t help it, but knowing that you are by Izzy’s side is reassuring and does help with the worry somewhat.” She spoke with warmth. “R-really, why is that?” Rita felt her heart start to race. “Because if you are by his side then I know he is being taken good care of, that and even if he isn’t worrying about his health and condition then you are. Besides, I know if anything happens you will be there to help him. I appreciate that, of course I don’t want you putting yourself in danger either.” Mrs. Izumi explained, Rita felt her cheeks glow. “Ah well yes I suppose that is true. Izzy has continued to push himself, but he is resting, I’m making sure of it. We all need him, so I will keep him safe no matter the risk.” Rita reasoned. “I know you will, please take care of yourself as well. It will make Izzy worry more if you aren’t your normal self.” Izzy’s Mother confessed. “I will do my best,” Rita smiled. “When this is over please come back over for dinner again, okay?” Mrs. Izumi insisted. “I promise!” Rita again found herself smiling. “I will let you both go for now, get some sleep and make sure Izzy does too! Goodnight dear.” “I will, and goodnight.” 

Izzy’s face was red when Rita handed back the phone to him. “W-what did she say?” Izzy looked really embarrassed, it was really cute. “Just promising her to take good care of you is all.” Rita smiled as she pulled Mikumon onto her lap. “You seem close with Izzy’s family!” Tentomon observed. “Ah well, I’ve talked to them a few times and went over for dinner once.” Rita blushed. “I see…” Tentomon replied, looking at Mikumon. “Should you talk to Mimi’s parents?” Izzy then asked. “No it’s okay, I’m sure Mimi will let them know I am just fine.” Rita responded. She glanced over Izzy’s features as the glow of the computer was the only source of light besides the moon outside. “Izzy I…” Rita began to speak when she felt her phone vibrate. “It’s my father!” Rita shot up as she answered the phone. “Dad?” Rita spoke, Izzy listened carefully to the words she spoke, considering it was in her native language and he could only follow so much. “Mom you’re there too… yes… don’t worry I’m okay… no I know… I’m sorry I lied to you… I just didn’t know how to explain it… I didn’t want you both to worry… I know… but I… it’s a big mess… so much has happened and I didn’t want to make you sad… you noticed? Well the truth is Mikumon, Mimi’s partner Digimon and all of the other’s Digimon partners lost their memories of us… that's right… I-I’m okay… we found them again… that connection is still there so I will be okay… she’s doing well… it’s been hard on all of us… I just didn’t want to make you guys sad… I promise I’m taking care of myself!... I love you both too, I miss you so much! Every day I think about you both… I have to do this though; we are the only ones who can stop this problem… I will be safe… I know you both worry… I’m not that reckless!… I promise… I will message you if anything happens… I love you both… I’ll talk to you soon… bye…” Tears fell from Rita’s eyes as she lowered her phone. “Are you okay?” Izzy questioned. Rita turned around only to run into Izzy’s arms. “It’s okay…” Izzy spoke in a gentle voice as he patted Rita’s head. “I didn’t want to worry them…” Rita cried. “It’s inevitable… you know you would as well if you were in their place, right?” Izzy reasoned. “I know…” Rita spoke as she sat up. “Your parents know about Mikumon then?” Izzy questioned. “Y-you understood the conversation?” Rita’s eyes opened slightly. “I caught words and figured out most of it.” Izzy smiled. It was true he was quite good at English for a Japanese boy his age. Rita was always impressed with him. “Yeah, they both met Mikumon once before, when she came to our world.” Rita smiled as she picked up Mikumon again. “Was this when you went to New York for Christmas that one time?” Izzy asked. Rita just shook her head. “No it was the summer after you guys went to the Digital World. One day Mikumon appeared before me, like a miracle. If you want I can tell you guys the story?” Rita blushed as she looked at Izzy. “Oh I want to hear, I want to know how you first met me!” Mikumon jumped up. “Hehe, okay, Izzy? Tentomon?” Rita turned to them. “Of course.” Izzy smiled back. “This sounds like a very important time for you.” Tentomon observed. “It was, the happiest summer of my life.” Rita replied, thinking back to the day she met her beloved partner.


	16. Chapter 16

It had been a rough year for Rita. She had missed a lot of school due to a sudden illness. Somehow she still managed to attend enough to graduate to the next grade, it would be her final year in elementary school before starting high school. The summer breeze was warm, not too hot, but enough that sitting outside with a cold drink felt refreshing. Rita’s father was golfing, not a big surprise since the weather was nice. She could hear her mother cleaning the house, even from outside. It was a rare day when things seemed calm, Rita longed for moments like these. It was quiet, but a peaceful quiet. Looking up at the clouds as they passed by, Rita noticed that they were somewhat strange. It was as if they were being pulled into a whirlpool-like current. Puzzled, Rita watched in amazement, contemplating if she should call her mother out to witness the sight. A sound then caught Rita’s attention, remaining still, she tried to hear the sound more clearly. The only thing she could compare it to was the beeping sound of a digital watch, only slightly different. Out of nowhere a glowing orb of light slowly fell towards Rita. She couldn’t move, even if she was scared, her curiosity got the better of her once more. For some reason she held out her hand, without thinking of the consequences. It could have been hot or even radioactive. Rita only felt a strong connection, like whatever it was wanted to find her. As her hand gripped the small orb, she released her fingers to find a small light blue digital device. Flabbergasted, Rita examined it. The device didn’t seem to do much, when she pressed the buttons it only showed the time, which oddly enough was correct for her time zone. “Rita, do you want some lunch?” Rita’s mother questioned as she came outside. “Ah, sure…” Rita spoke, her focus still on the small device in her hand. “What’s that?” Her mother asked, bending down to get a look. “I don’t know… the clouds were acting weird and then an orb of light fell from the sky and when I grabbed it I was left with this thing…” Rita explained. “… Right… I think you’ve been watching too much TV.” Her mother sighed. “I’m telling the truth!” Rita argued back. “Okay, I believe you…” her mother retorted, clearly doubtful. Rita grew only more frustrated. “I’ll call you when lunch is ready,” Rita’s mother announced as she walked back in the house. Rita looked down at her device again, she wasn’t crazy was she? That did happen… didn’t it?

After lunch Rita went on the computer to send a message to her cousin in Japan. She had heard stories from her before about these creatures called Digimon who were from a whole other world. Mimi said she had been transported to this world when all those weird things were happening all over the world the prior summer. Rita had seen these monsters on the news and her mother figured it was just some joke. Rita knew Mimi would never lie though, plus after talking to her she could see that Mimi had matured in some ways. She never got into the details, but something happened to Mimi that changed her for the better. Rita looked down at the device again. It was plausible that this device had come from that other world. Mimi did say it was a digital like world and this was a digital like device… Rita held it in front of the computer and all of a sudden it started to glow. Rita couldn’t believe her eyes when not only this strange device lit up, but the computer screen as well. She could only watch in amazement when a little white blob with leaf like ears popped through the screen and landed on her lap. 

“Hello!” It spoke, smiling up at Rita. “It…it… talks?” Rita stuttered, not sure what just happened. “My name is Habumon, it’s nice to meet you!” The strange creature’s eyes lit up. “H-hello… I’m Rita… umm… what are you?” Rita questioned. “I’m a Digimon, short for Digital Monster, I came from the Digital World because I wanted to meet you.” Habumon explained. “Meet me… why?” Rita asked, still having a tough time processing things. “Because I’m your partner!” It smiled. Rita wasn’t sure what the strange creature meant by partner, but she could feel that it was genuinely happy to see her. “What do you mean by partner?” Rita asked, her eyes examining the Digimon from top to bottom. “It means… I dunno… but we’re partners!” Habumon continued to smile. “Right… so like friends?” Rita considered. “Yes yes! Let’s be the best of friends!” Habumon cheered as she jumped up and down. Rita found herself smiling. This little creature was so cute and sweet; it was like having a pet, but one she could actually communicate with it. “Sure, it’s nice to meet you Habumon.” Rita smiled as she reached her hand out to shake one of Habumon’s ears. “Same here Rita!” Habumon smiled back. “Rita honey, I’m going to the grocery store, do you want to come with me?” Rita froze when she heard her mother’s voice. How was she going to explain this one? “What’s a grocery store?” Habumon asked as Rita stood up with the small Digimon in her arms. “Er, it’s a place where you buy food…” Rita replied, still contemplating what she should do. “Oh I wanna see!” Habumon insisted. “I don't know…” Rita murmured. “Rita?” Her mother yelled. “Ah, sorry! I’ll pass this time!” Rita called back. Her mother then walked in the computer room to see her daughter holding a weird looking stuffed toy. “What’s that thing? Did you make it? It’s cute.” Her mother observed with a smile. “Thank you!” Habumon spoke. Rita and her mother’s eyes both widened. “Uh… mom this is Habumon… that thing that I mentioned before that fell from the sky pulled this creature out of the computer…” Rita attempted to explain. “It’s nice to meet you Rita’s mother!” Habumon smiled. Rita’s mother just froze. “I think I need to lay down for a bit…” She then sighed before walking out of the room. “I don’t think she likes me…” Habumon spoke with sadness. “Er that’s not it… I think she assumes she lost it…” Rita replied. “Lost what?” Habumon asked. “Her sanity…” Rita sighed, unsure of how this would go. 

Later that evening when Rita’s father came home, Rita tried to explain in detail what had occurred earlier in the day. It took a while for both her parents to understand, or even believe what happened. Still, when Rita told them everything Mimi had gone through the prior summer, it started to make sense, to her father at least. Eventually they accepted it and welcomed Habumon into the family. After dinner Rita sent another email to Mimi, explaining about Habumon and how she just appeared from her computer. It wasn’t until late that night that she got a reply. Mimi seemed really excited, she told Rita that this meant she was a DigiDestined as well. Rita wasn’t sure what that meant, but Mimi seemed really happy for her. She also told Rita more about her own partner Palmon. It seemed that Mimi hadn’t seen her in some time, but she considered her to be her best friend. Rita couldn't help but feel bad, even if she had only met Habumon today, the thought of her suddenly leaving made her feel lonely. That night Rita’s mother tucked both her and Habumon into bed, it was nice sleeping with her, though Rita’s cat didn’t seem to thrilled with the idea. The following morning Rita cried out in surprise when Habumon turned into a larger bunny. It still had the same ears, but this time had leaf like tails and a star pattern on her head. “H-Habumon?” Rita questioned. “Oh… I digivolved… I’m Mikumon now.” Mikumon smiled. “I see… so you can change your appearance?” Rita mused. “If I digivolve, I wonder what I can do now…” Mikumon jumped up, spinning her tail leaves she created a small tornado in Rita’s room, sending her things flying. “Wait stop!” Rita cried out. Mikumon then froze, looking around to see that her room was a mess. “Sorry…” “Rita what is all that racket?” Rita’s mother called out as she busted through the door. She froze seeing Mikumon and Rita’s room, which looked like a hurricane hit. “What is that thing?” She cried out. “Uh, Habumon turned into Mikumon?” Rita confessed, in a way like she still was trying to process it. “What happened in here?” Her mother then asked. “Sorry… I used an attack and made a mess…” Mikumon’s ears fell as her large red eyes looked like they would well up. “It’s okay… I’ll clean it up, just don’t do that again, okay?” Her mother smiled as she pat Mikumon on the head. “Okay!” Mikumon then smiled back. 

It was a bit of an adjustment, but Rita loved having Mikumon around. She wasn’t sure how long she would be able to stay with her, but being able to spend every day playing together made Rita so happy. Going out Mikumon pretended to be a toy when others were looking. Mostly they played in the forest together, making forts and playing hide and seek. Rita even took Mikumon swimming, though they had a hard time finding a place with few people around. The two became inseparable and after a while it became hard to imagine what life would be like without her partner. As summer came to an end and with school about to start, Rita wondered how Mikumon would be if she was left alone during the day. That question was never answered because sadly, Mikumon had to return to the Digital World. Rita was heartbroken, but apparently they can't stay too long in the human world. It was a painful goodbye, but they both made a promise to see each other again soon. Rita would work hard at school and do her best so Mikumon wouldn't worry, and Mikumon would take care of herself too. After returning to the computer, Rita felt Mikumon’s absence. It was cold and lonely and she felt like a part of her heart was missing. Holding onto her device, Rita felt a warmth, almost like Mikumon was telling her they were still connected. She wouldn’t cry, she knew just like Mimi said, they were destined to meet again. 

“So that’s what happened…” Izzy pondered, it was quite a different experience then what the others had gone through. “It sounds like the two of you had a lot of fun!” Tentomon chimed in. “We did!” Rita smiled back. “I wish I could remember…” Mikumon spoke, her ears drooping. “Now now, I’m sure someday you will, so please don’t look sad. No matter what I will always have those memories and treasure them. Not a day since then has gone by where I didn’t think of you.” Rita explained as she lifted Mikumon onto her lap. “Rita…” Mikumon said as she reached out to touch Rita’s cheek. “I’m so happy I’m your partner!” Mikumon smiled. Rita felt her eyes start to well up. “Ah, now you’re going to make me cry.” Rita spoke as she rubbed her eyes. “Ah, I’m sorry!” Mikumon panicked. “Don’t be! I’m happy… thank you Mikumon, I’m happy I’m your partner as well.” Rita smiled before pulling Mikumon into her arms. “So touching! I think I’m going to cry now.” Tentomon sniffled. “Don’t do that, why don't you go check on how the other Digimon are doing? I’m just going to work on my computer for a bit longer.” Izzy suggested. “Okay, Rita make sure he doesn’t stay on too long!” Tentomon requested. “That’s my job!” Rita winked. “Let’s go Tentomon! I wanna explore the school more too.” Mikumon jumped. “Okay,” Tentomon agreed as they both rushed to the door. “Be careful!” Rita called out before they were out of sight. 

“You know… I really wished I could have gone to the Digital World with you guys before…” Rita confessed, her eyes gazing out the window to look at the moon. “Yeah? I mean I guess I can understand that, but it was difficult and painful at times… part of me is glad you weren’t there… we lost a lot of friends, even if most came back.” Izzy explained. “I know… but I wish I could have known you then… so I could have been by your side like I am now… maybe then…” Rita trailed off, her mind then thinking. ‘Then maybe you would have fallen in love with me first…’ Izzy’s cheeks turned a dark red. “W-well you are here now… I hope you know I appreciate having you beside me like this…” Izzy confessed, his eyes still focused on the computer. “You don’t need to thank me… I’m happy when I’m with you…” Rita admitted, her body slowly moving over to rest her head against Izzy’s shoulder. “I-I’m glad…” Izzy continued to blush, his heart feeling as though it would burst. “D-do you want me to move?” Rita questioned, not wanting to get in his way, but at the same time not wanting to move. “No… it-its fine…” Izzy replied, hoping he could manage to focus with Rita laying against him. The room was quiet, only the sound of Izzy’s fingers hitting the keys could be heard. They both hoped it was loud enough that their pounding hearts would remain secret.

Eventually everyone returned to Mr. Nishijima’s room for sleep, that is after everyone finally got a chance to shower. The girls huddled to sleep while Rita sat next to Izzy as he hunched over his laptop. “Rita come sleep with us, Izzy won’t get off the computer anytime soon, you know that…” Mimi sighed. “That’s why I’m not going to bed until he does, it’s kinda my routine now anyway…” Rita explained. “You should sleep Rita; I have some things to calculate first.” Izzy reasoned. “No! You need your sleep! And if that isn't enough to get you to listen then me staying up all night with you will hopefully guilt you into sleeping yourself.” Rita lectured. “She’s got you there,” Tai chuckled. “They act like a married couple already…” Joe stated, making both Rita and Izzy blush. “We’re not a married couple!” They both shot back making everyone laugh. “Wow, they are even in perfect unison.” TK grinned. Rita and Izzy both avoided looking at anyone. “We should all get to sleep though, goodnight everyone.” Sora spoke. “Night,” Mimi yawned. “Night everyone…” Matt mumbled. It didn’t take long for only Rita and Izzy to be the last two left awake. “D-do we really act like a married couple?” Rita questioned, her face still red. “I dunno… Tentomon told me that before as well…” Izzy blushed. “I remember… will you please get some sleep now?” Rita asked, looking at Izzy with pleading eyes. “Okay I give…” He gently smiled back. “Thanks…” Rita gave him a warm and gentle look. Closing his laptop Izzy moved towards an open wall, his eyes then widened when Rita followed next to him. “A-aren’t you going to sleep with the girls?” He questioned, his cheeks bright red. “I don’t want to wake them… why? Do you not want me sleeping next to you?” Rita pouted. “N-no of course that’s not it!” Izzy defended, waving his hands. “Good then…” Rita smiled, moving her body to line up on Izzy’s side. Izzy’s heart started to race again when he felt Rita’s body heat against his own. His mind couldn't help racing around the thought that she was awfully close to him. “T-this way we won’t get cold…” Rita informed, wondering if he was uncomfortable with her pressed up against him. “No worries…” Izzy muttered. Rita found herself soothed by the sound of Izzy’s heartbeat. It was racing and that made her happy. As Rita’s eyes closed Izzy watched her doze off. He didn’t understand this girl at all. Just why did she seem so happy when she was close to him like this? She always looked so peaceful, was he some sort of comfort to her? Besides Mimi he seemed to be the one she was closest to in Japan. That made him happy, but also made him curious. If she found out about his feeling for her, would their relationship change? Would she end up avoiding him? Or… would she maybe return them?

Izzy feel asleep quicker then he thought he would. Waking up much earlier than everyone else, his eyes widened and his heart skipped a beat to see Rita’s arms wrapped around him, snuggling into his body. While his heart was panicking he only wished this moment could last longer. Still… he did go to bed earlier then he planned for Rita’s sake, and since he was up he really should be getting back to work. Gently sliding Rita off of him, Izzy returned to the table where his laptop was waiting. Every now and then he found his eyes drifting back to Rita’s sleeping figure. She was so beautiful, even more so than normal. He could see how long her eyelashes were, how gentle and peaceful she looked. Unfortunately, she could be quite a distraction to him at times. All of a sudden a loud cry could be heard in the distance. Izzy looked down at his screen to see that it was going wild, no doubt Meicoomon was close. The door loudly slid open and Mr. Nishijima walked in, waking the others. “It’s Meicoomon!” He announced. Quickly everyone got to their feet, grabbing their Digimon and running outside. 

“Stop Meicoomon!” Tai called out. “Mei!” Meiko cried out. Meicoomon was surrounded by a dark aura, it seemed to be in control of her. “You became that way because of me, right? Because you tried to protect me… Then blame me! Blame me for not being a worthy partner! I’ll take all of it! Or… am I not your partner anymore?... I can’t… become your hope?” Meiko questioned helplessly. Meicoomon cried out as she leapt from one building to the next. A dark purple aura was surrounding her, giving off an ominous vibe. “That's… the same thing surrounding her from the plant explosion.” Mr. Nishijima informed. “Agumon!” Tai called out. “Okay!” Agumon agreed. “Wait a second! What if everyone gets infected again by getting in contact with Meicoomon?!” Izzy pointed out. Rita felt a chill, she didn’t want that to happen again… “No way!” Mimi cried out. The group all grimaced at the idea. “We gotta go!” Agumon informed. “Yeah,” Gabumon nodded. “Gabumon?” Matt questioned. “Tai!” Agumon called out, giving him a serious look. All the Digimon gathered, they were prepared and knew what they had to do. Everyone digivolved to their Ultimate level and went after Meicoomon. They could only watch as their partners surrounded the crazed Meicoomon when Meiko then spoke. “Mei… is crying…” She held out her digivice as if their feelings were still connected. “Yeah… she’s scared…” Kari then spoke. Meicoomon suddenly sent Zudamon flying as Joe cried out for his partner. Izzy opened his laptop and began to type once more. “The distortion surrounding Meicoomon is increasing.” Izzy informed. “Is fear increasing Meicoomon’s power?” Mr. Nishijima questioned. Meicoomon then sent of a bunch of blasts that caused immense destruction to the area. “Why… why does it turn out like this when we just want to save Meicoomon?” Sora questioned. “I need to save…” Meiko cried out when Mr. Nishijima ran to hold her back. A light then appeared in the sky. “It’s here…” Mr. Nishikima spoke. Meicoomon sent off a couple of attacks in the direction of the light. From the smoke a large Digimon appeared, one Rita and Izzy instantly recognized. “What is that?” Tai asked. “A Digimon that Homeostasis has sent in.” Mr. Nishijima answered. “Jesmon!” Izzy announced when the Digimon’s profile appeared on his screen. It was the same Digimon that was fighting Alphamon back in the Digital World. 

A dark light surrounded Meicoomon again and with a loud cry she changed form once more. Her very presence started to make the world around her dissolve into nothing. “What is that power?” Tai called out. “Just her existing is destroying everything.” Izzy revealed. The two Digimon then started to fight, sending each other flying. When Meicoomon crashed into the ground Meiko called out for her partner. Everyone stood and watched. “Why? Didn’t Homeostasis tell us to take care of Meicoomon?” Tai yelled. “So once we're no use, it’s going to cut us off and finish Meicoomon itself?” Matt glared. “I thought that it was Ygdrasil’s will that was trying to remove us from the Digital World. But maybe… it was Homeostasis…” Joe considered. “Who is our real enemy? Who… are we really fighting against?” Tai cried out before running forward, the DigiDestined all followed. The fighting ensued, the blasts could be seen by a far distance. It was utter madness, buildings collapsed as the Digimon protected their partners from the falling debris. “Meiko!” Kari called out as she was out in the open about to get hit by Jesmon. Rita watched in fear when suddenly Meicoomon rushed in front of her, protecting her partner, even in her current state. “Did Meicoomon?” Tai spoke. “Protect MeiMei?” Mimi finished. “Wasn’t she just attacking Jesmon?” Joe questioned. “No… she protected her.” Sora concluded. “That’s right! I’m sure!” Mimi insisted. “If Meicoomon really protected Mochizuki…” TK started. “We’ve got to save her!” Kari continued. “Tai! Omnimon!” Matt called out. “Got it! MetalGreymon, lure Meicoomon to the ocean somehow!” Tai ordered. Besides Angewoman and Mikotomon, all the other Digimon digivolved into Mega, ready to force Meicoomon towards the ocean. 

The DigiDestined all ran until Kari came to a stop. “Halt DigiDestined.” She spoke as if in a trance. “Kari?” Tai questioned as everyone stopped to face her. “Stop these foolish actions,” Kari continued. “Homeostasis…” Mr. Nishijima then spoke. “What do you mean by foolish actions?” Matt inquired. “Anything to obstruct harmony and stability shall be removed,” Homeostasis revealed. “Is that why you’re going to get rid of Meicoomon?” Tai yelled. “We won’t let that happen!” Mimi cried out. “We are just doing what you could not do… if all of you get in the way then you will be removed as well.” Homeostasis threatened. “Don’t you dare! These children as well as their partners are not your pawns!” Mr. Nishijima defended. “Mr. Nishijima…” Rita spoke. “Your actions right now obstruct harmony.” Homeostasis stated. “We just want to protect our friends!” Tai argued. “That one has become too strong,” Homeostasis explained. “Are you saying you can do anything for harmony?” Joe angrily asked. “Sacrifices are necessary…” Homeostasis responded. Rita clenched, she didn't like what it was saying, but on some level she understood. “It’s not that simple!” Tai argued. “Don’t you dare say that!” Kari then spoke herself. “Get out! Get out of me this instant! There should never be any sacrifices, ever! Our friend is suffering! And with your selfish reasons you want to…I won’t let you!” Kari called out. “At this point you cannot do anything. Leave such feelings of teamwork aside which obstruct the bigger picture.” Homeostasis again spoke before leaving Kari’s body. Tai and Sora then caught Kari as she fell. “Mei!” Meiko called out as she ran towards her partner who was trapped in Jesmon’s claws. Everyone ran after to see that Jesmon opened a distortion and took Meicoomon inside with him. “Our friends… what’s wrong with caring for our friends?! What’s wrong with it?!” Tai yelled as he and the others chased after. “The distortion’s closing!” Izzy announced as it started to grow smaller, they were running out of time… they had to make it. “I’m gonna protect them! Matt!” Tai called out as he readied his digivice. “Yeah!” Matt also called out. Their Digimon then DNA digivolved into Omnimon. He then sliced the distortion back open as everyone ran and leapt through, heading back to the Digital World.


End file.
